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10 


O 


WESTERN 


MRS.  A.BAJLEY" 


DEW1TT  &  SMELL5KQ 
BOOKSELLERS 

9  TELECBAPH  AVE.  OAKWMD,  CM. 


GIFT  OF 


WESTERN 
POULTRY  BOOK 


BY 


MRS.   A.    BASLEY 


TELLS  YOU  WHAT  TO  DO  AND  HOW  TO  DO  IT 
THE   CHICKEN   BUSINESS  FROM   FIRST   TO    LAST 

WITH 

Questions  and  Answers 

Relative  to  Up-to-date  Poultry  Culture 


Published  by 

MRS.  A.   BASLEY 

Los  ANGELES,  CALIFORNIA 


PRICE  -ONE.  DOLLAR 


THE  NEUNER  COMPANY  PRESS 

Los  ANGELES 

1910 


r 
t\ 


ESERVATION 

INTRODUCTION 

PAINED 

In  the  hope  of  helping  beginners  and  others  of  my  friends  in  the  poultry 
business,  and  in  response  to  urgent  requests  for  a  book  on  poultry  culture  from 
my  pen,  I  wrote  a  small  volume  a  year  ago.  The  whole  edition  was  sold  in 
a  year,  and  on  account  of  the  interest  taken  in  it  and  the  demand  for  some- 
thing more,  I  have  re-written  it  and  added  chapters  on  breeding  in  line,  fireless 
brooders  and  other  new  features  in  the  poultry  business. 

The  book  is  a  synopsis  of  many  chapters  of  my  "Woman's  Work  in  the 
Poultry  Yard"  and  other  talks  on  poultry,  and  embodies  the  personal,  practical 
experiences  I  have  been  through  myself  in  many  years  of  pleasant  work  in 
the  poultry  yard.  Its  object  is  not  necessarily  to  urge  anyone  into  the  business, 
but  to  encourage  and  help  beginners  and  especially  newcomers  on  the  Pacific 
Coast,  where  conditions  differ  materially  from  those  in  the  East  and  where 
there  is  an  increasingly  large  demand  for  both  poultry  and  eggs;  where  the 
poultry  business  is  about  as  profitable  as  any  that  ca.n  be  undertaken  and  a 
good  living  may  be  made  in  the  pure  air  and  sunshine  by  any  industrious  man 
or  woman. 

Having  for  many  years  been  lecturer  at  the  Farmers'  Institutes  in  the 
Extension  Courses  of  the  University  of  California,  for  two  years  instructor  in 
poultry  husbandry  at  the  poultry  school  of  the  University  of  California,  and 
having  been  editor  or  associate  editor  of  four  agricultural  and  other  news- 
papers on  the  Pacific  Coast,  many  questions  have  during  this  time  been  pro- 
pounded to  me  relating  to  the  poultry  business,  its  difficulties,  the  troubles 
of  poultry  raisers  and  the  ailments  of  fowls.  Some  of  these  questions  will  be 
found  in  this  book  with  the  answers  to  them,  also  remedies  for  the  diseases  or 
ills  of  fowls  in  this  climate. 

Hoping  and  feeling  sure  that  my  little  book  may  prove  a  help  to  all  its 
readers,  I  am, 

Very  cordially  your  friend. 


Mrs.  A.  Basley 


260152 


Copyright  1910  by 
Mrs.  A.  Basley 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


Common   Sense   Poultry  Houses 9 

What  Variety  to  Choose 18 

Eggs  for  Breeding 27 

Eggs  for  Market 30 

The  Feeding  Problem 34 

Sample    Rations 35 

Feeding    Beans 39 

Sprouting   Oats 44 

Breeding-in-Line    45 

Fertile  Eggs 53 

Testing   Eggs  for   Incubation 56 

Natural    Incubation 59 

Artificial  Incubation 64 

Care  of  Brooder  Chicks 69 

Fireless    Brooder 73 

White   Diarrhoea  in   Brooder  Chicks 74 

Vigor    77 

One-Day-Old-Chick    Trade 79 

Broiler    Ranches 80 

Summer   Work 81 

Trap    Nest 85 

Grit  and  Gizzard 89 

Pests  of  a  Poultry  Yard 92 

Diseases  of  Poultry  (Roup) 95 

Town    Lot    Fowls 98 

Moulting    Season 101 

Value  of  Economy -. 105 

Preserving    Eggs 109 

Capons     112 

Turkeys  and  How  to  Raise  Them 116 

Ducks  and  their  Varieties 124 

Something  about    Geese 131 

Basley  Formulas    134 

Questions   and  Answers 135 

Cause  and  Cure  of  Sickness 137 

Lice,  Mites,  Ticks  and  Worms 159 

Feeding   in    General 165 

Egg    Question 1 73 

Hatching  with  Incubator  and  Hen 176 

Yard    Room 183 

Mating   and    Breeding 184 

Miscellaneous    Questions 185 ' 

Turkey  Questions 190 

About   Ducks   and    Geese..  195 


CLASSIFIED  INDEX 


Acute  Indigestion . .  .  148 

Age  for   Mating 184 

Air  Puff 137 

Airing  Eggs  in  Incubator 176 

American  Class 19 

Analysis  of  Hen  and  Egg 32 

Analysis  of  Beans 41 

Animal  Food 165 

Apoplexy 137 

Artificial   Incubation 64 

Asiatic  Class 21 

Aylesbury  Ducks 125 

B 

Bad  Meat 166 

Balanced  Ration 31-100 

Bald  Head    138 

Basley  Formulas 134 

Beans,  Feeding 39 

Bedbugs 92 

Beet  Tops 166 

Blind  Chicks 138 

Blood  Meal 166 

Blood  Spots  in  Eggs 174 

Body  Lice 159 

Breeds  and  Classes 18 

Breeding    45-184 

Breeding  Chart,  I.  K.  Felch 49 

Breeding  Chart,  Mrs.  Metcalf 50 

Breathing  Difficulty 146 

Broiler  Ranches 80 

Broilers,  Ration  for 36 

Broken  Glass  and  China  for  Grit.. 171 

Brooders    182 

Brooders,  Fireless 73-187 

Brooder  Chick,  Care  of 69-182 

Broken-down  Hen 189 

Bronchitis    138-142-152 

Buff  Orpington  Ducks 128 

Bumble  Foot 137 

Burglar  Alarm 183 


Cancer    139 

Canker 96-139 

Cannibalism    139 

Capons    112-185 

Capons  as  Mothers 114 

Capons,  Training   114 

Catarrh  94-144 

Cat  and  Hawk  Proof  Coup 133 

Caponizing    112-113 

Care  of  Brooder  Chicks 69 

Care  of  Fertile  Eggs 29 

Castor  Bean  Bushes 185 

Charts  for  Breeding 49-50 

Chart  for  Marking  Chicks 52 

Chicks  Choking 141 

Chicks  Dying  in  Shells 178 

Chicks,  Rations  for 71-72-189 

Chicken-pox   140 

Choosing  Eggs  for  Hatching 29 

Colony    Houses 9-16 


Comb  Discolored 141 

Comb  White 142 

Common  Sense  Poultry  Houses ...     9 

Composition  of  Hen  and  Egg 32 

Congestion  of  the  Lungs 143 

Cold  in  the  Head 141 

Cooling  Eggs 66 

Corns  on  Feet 137 

Cough  and  Sneeze 141-142 

Crippled    Chicks 177 

Crop    77 

Crop   Bound 144 

Crude   Oil 186 


Diarrhoea,  White 75 

Different    Breeds 18 

Dipping  for  Lice 159-188 

Diphtheritic  Roup 96-145 

Diseases  of  Poultry 95-137 

Douglas  Mixture 134 

Dropsy  158 

Dry  Feed  System 35 

Dry  Hopper  Method 83-166 

Dry  Mash 166 

Depluming  Mites 162 

Duck  Eggs  vs.  Hen  Eggs 195 

Ducks    24-124-195 

Ducks  Need  Grit 90 

Ducks,  Died  in  the  Shell 197 

Ducks,  Feeding  for  Eggs 196 

Ducks,  Weight 196 

Ducks,  Incubator 195 

Ducks,  Indigestion 195 

Ducks,  to  Secure  Fertility 195 

Ducks,  Rations  for 129-130 


Economy  in  Different  Ways 105 

Elbow  Room  Needed 70 

Egg,  Analysis  of 32 

Egg  Bound 173 

Egg  Eating 175 

Egg  Route 84 

Egg  Tester 58-66 

Eggs  for  Breeding 27 

Eggs  for  Hatching 29-65-179 

Eggs  for  Market 30 

Eggs,  Thin  Shells 90-174 

Eggs,  200  a  Year 30 

English  Class 22 

Essentials    30 

Exercise   31-167 

Eyes  Swollen 156 

F 

Fatten  Fowls 38 

Fatty  Degeneration  of  Liver 145 

Feather  Pulling 146 

Feeding  Chicks 71-72 

Feeding  Problem 34 

Feeding  for  Fertility 28 

Feeding  Beans 39 

Feeding  for  Color 104 


Feeding  During  Moult 102 

Feeding   Ducks 129 

Feeding  in  General 165 

Feeding  for  Market 170 

Feeding  for  Young  and  Old 168 

Feeding,  What  and  How 170 

Feeding   Turkeys 117 

Fertility  in   Eggs 53 

Fireless   Brooders 188 

Fertile  Eggs,  Care  of 29 

Fleas   92-160 

Flea  Powder,  Cheap 161 

Formula  for  Chick  Feed 189 

Formula  for  Laying  Hens 189 

Formulas,  Basley,  Tested 134 

Formula,  Government,  Lice. .  . .  ^. .  93 
Formula,  Govt.,  Spray  or  Paint...  94 

French   Class 23 

From  Far-away  Alaska 186 

Fooling  the  Hen 178 

Food,  Good  and  Bad  for  Ducks...  195 

Food  Elements 34 

Formula,  Feeding 100-134-168-189 

G 

Game  Class 23 

Geese     25-197 

Geese  and  Ducks 196 

Green   Droppings 146 

Green  Food 108-171 

Grit  and  Gizzard 89 

Grit,    Best 89 

Grit,  Starved  for  Lack  of 90 

Geese  Varieties 132 

Geese,  Hatching  and  Feeding.  .131-132 
Geese,  Toulouse 197 

H 

Hamburg  Class 23 

Hatching   62 

Hatching  Ducks 129 

Hatching  Turkey  Eggs 194 

Head  Lice  160 

Heart  Trouble 146 

Helping  the  Hatch 178 

Hemorrhage  of  the  Oviduct 147 

Hen,  Analysis  of 32 

Hens,  Rations  for  a  Dozen 37 

Henpecked  Husbands 186 

Heredity 30 

Hopper   Feeding 35-166 

Houses    9-17 

Houses,  Town   Lot 98 

How  Many  on  Two  Acres 183 

How  to  Make  Nests 160 

How  Much  to  Feed. . ..... .28-169-173 

How  Long  Before  Laying 187 

Hump   Themselves 161 

Hatching  and  Brooding  Ducks. .  .  .129 
Hatching  and  Feeding  Geese 131 


Incubator  Chicks  Dying 179 

Incubators   67-181 

Incubation,  Testing  Eggs 66 

Incubation  with   Hens 59 

Incubators,  Trouble  with 180 


Increasing  Size  of  Eggs 184 

Indigestion    148 

Indigestion  and  Liver  Complaint.  .147 

Instrument  for  Testing  Eggs 190 

Indian  Runner  Ducks 127 

Infertility    • 176 

Influenza    147 

Inflammation  of  Crop 147 

Insecticide   61-93 

Insects    92 

Intestinal  Worms 163-164 

K 

Kaffir  Corn 172 

Keeping  Eggs  for  Setting 29 

Kerosene  Emulsion 93-160 


Lack  of  Oxygen 177 

Lame  Hen 137 

Largest  White  Eggs 174 

Layers    190 

Laying  Hens,  Ration  for 36 

Leg  Weakness 148 

Lice    93-159-164 

Limber  Neck 148 

Lime  Formula  for  Preserving 

Eggs Ill 

Liver   Complaint 149-147 

Liver  Complaint  in  Turkeys 194 

Liver  Enlarged 145 

Location  of  Incubator 65 

M 

Male  Bird 28 

Mange    149 

Manure     197 

Marking  Chicks 62 

Market   Eggs 30 

Market,  Feeding  for 38 

Mash  System 35-166 

Mating    29 

Mating  and  Breeding 184 

Meat    166 

Mediterranean  Class   20 

Millet   Seed 171 

Mites   92-161 

Mixing   Foods 169 

More  About  Turkeys 120 

Moult    102 

Moult,  What  to  Feed 102 

Mushroom  Houses Ill 

Muscovy  Ducks 128 

N 

Naked  Chicks 149 

Natural   Incubation 59-181 

Nests  for  Setting 59 

Novel  Nests 175 

Number  on  Five  Acres 183 


Oats  Sprouting 44 

One-Day  Old  Chicks 79 

Operating  Incubator 67 

Orpington    Breeds 22 

Ovarian  Tumor 150 

Over-fat  Hens..  150 


Packing  Eggs  for  Hatching 190 

Painting  Houses 17 

Pekin  Ducks 126 

Pendulous  Crop 150 

Pests  of  a  Poultry  Yard 92 

Poison 151-152-153 

Polish  Class 23 

Poor   Hatches 176-179 

Proper    Range 82 

Preserving   Eggs 109 

Proper    Eood 31 

Protein    40-43 

Pip 152 

Pneumonia    153 

Ptomaine   Poison 151-152 

Pullets  Dying 145 

Pulling   Feathers 146 

Purple  Comb 141 


Quantity  to  Feed 167 

Questions  and  Answers 137 


Range   82 

Rations    35-100-167 

Rations  of  Successful  Breeders....   37 

Rations  During  Moult 102 

Records,   Keeping 60 

Red  Worms ., 163 

Rheumatism .153 

Roasters,  Breeds  for 26 

Roosting,  Teaching 83 

Rouen    Ducks 128 

Roup    95-153-155-173 

Roup  Remedies 96-97 

Roupy  Catarrh 95 


Sample   Rations 35 

Sand   Fleas 160 

Scaly  Legs 156 

Scratching  Pens 31-167 

Selection  of  Breed 18-25 

Selecting  Eggs  for  Hatching 65 

Setting  Hens 59-176-177 

Shipping  Turkeys 194 

Shipping  Young  Chicks 185 

Sickness,  Cause  and  Cure 137 

Skimmed  Milk 1 72 

Sneeze    141 

Soft  Shelled   Eggs 174-187 

Something  in  Throat 157 

Sick  Chicks 144 

Sore  Eyes 156 

Sore  Throat 157 

Sorghum  Seeds 1 72 

Speck  of  Blood  in  Egg 174 

Spoiled  Food 107 

Spray  for  Houses 94-165 

Sprouted  Oats 44 

Spurs,  Saw  Off 187 

Stick-tight    Fleas 160 

Stone  Bruise 137 

Straw  for  Pens .31 


Stuck  up  Behind 76 

Sudden   Death 1 75 

Sulphur    for    Lice 189 

Summer  Work 81 

Sunshine  and   Shade 81 

Swollen   Feet 138 

Swell   Head 156 

Swelled  Eyes ....156 

Symtoms  of  Grit  Craving 90 


Tape-worm  in  Turkey 193 

Teaching  Chicks  to   Roost 83 

Technical    Names 186 

Temperature    Hatching 67 

Testing   Eggs 56-60-66 

Testing    Incubator 56 

Thermometer    57-1 78 

Testing  Out   Infertile   Eggs 190 

Throats,   Sore 157 

Ticks   ' 92-162 

Toe    Eating 157 

Tomatoes .' 167-190 

Town   Lot  Fowls 98 

Trap  Nest 85 

Trouble  with  Incubator 180 

Tuberculosis     157 

Tumor    158 

Turkey  Questions  and  Answers.  ..  190 
Turkeys    24-191 

Turkeys — 

How  to  Raise 116 

How   Many  Toms 194 

Lame     191 

Keep  Separate  from  Chickens. ..  191 

Over-fed  Little   Ones 117 

Keep   Liver  Healthy 119 

Chicken-pox    190 

Lack  of  Green   Food 192 

Blackhead  Disease 121 

Liver  Complaint 122 

Turkey,  Sick  Tom 193 

Turning   Eggs 66 


Value   of   Economy 105 

Varieties  of  Ducks .   24 

Vertigo     158 

Vigor  Necessary 27-77 

Vent   Gleet 158 

W 

Warts  on  Comb  and  Eyes 140 

Water-glass    109 

Weight  of  Ducks 196 

Weights,  Standard 18-26 

White   Comb 142-158 

White  Diarrhoea 75 

White  Wash  for  Houses 

Wind  in  Crop 1 59 

Worms    .  ..163-164 


Yard    Room. .  . 
Yard,   Plan  of. 


183 
99 


Arlington    Egg    Ranch 
PART  I. 


COMMON  SENSE  POULTRY  HOUSES 


The  poultry  business  is  one  of  the  most  fascinating  as  well  as  the 
most  profitable,  considering  the  amount  of  capital  invested,  in  the 
West.  The  conditions  here,  however,  differ  so  greatly  to  those 
in  the  East  and  other  localities,  that  the  ways  of  treating  the  fowls 
must  also  be  different.  The  needs  of  fowls  do  not  vary;  the 
resources  of  the  places  do,  and  the  success  of  the  poultry  raiser 
greatly  depends  upon  adapting  the  conditions  of  the  locality  to  the 
need  of  the  fowls. 

Nothing  is  more  important  than  the  proper  housing  of  chickens. 
The  style  of  house  a  man  builds  for  his  birds  will  depend  upon  his 
means  and  inclinations.  It  is  not  always  the  most  expensive  house 
that  gives  the  most  eggs.  In  planning  poultry  houses  and  yards, 
two  or  three  principles  should  be  firmly  held  in  mind :  First,  the 
house  must  have  a  liberal  supply  of  oxygen,  which  can  only  be 


Mrs.  Basley's  Continuous  Fresh  Air  House  and  Scratching  Shed 


10 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


supplied  by  perfect  ventilation ;  secondly,  it  must  be  free  from 
draughts  and  be  dry ;  and,  thirdly,  be  easily  accessible  to  the  at- 
tendant, not  only  for  cleaning  and  spraying,  but  to  enable  one  to 
handle  the  fowls  when  on  the  perches.  It  should  also  be  large 
enough  to  avoid  crowding  of  the  fowls. 

The  laying  hens  should  be  kept  in  yards  in  permanent  houses, 
easy  of  access,  whilst  the  young  and  growing  fowls  will  do  best  on 
free  range  with  movable  houses,  called  sometimes  colony  houses. 
These  give  the  best  results. 

After  many  years  of  experience  here,  the  writer  has  found  that 


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there  are  two  classes  of  houses  admirably  adapted  to  the  needs  of 
the  fowls  and  to  this  climate.  These  are  called  the  open  front  or 
the  "fresh  air"  house  and  the  "mushroom"  house.  What  is  meant 
by  an  open  front  house,  is  a  house  enclosed  on  three  sides  and  roof, 
with  one  side  open  to  the  fresh  air.  This  style  house  can  be  con- 
structed as  a  separate  and  movable  house  of  as  a  continuous  and 
scratching  shed  house.  A  plain  open  front  house  without  a  scratch- 
ing shed  attached,  is  used  in  many  places  as  a  colony  house  where 
fowls  have  free  range  or  where  they  are  kept  in  an  orchard. 

The  "mushroom"  house  is  built  tight  on  four  sides  and  roof, 
without  any  floor  and  is  raised  from  the  ground  about  twelve 
inches. 


COMMON   SENSE   POULTRY   HOUSES 


11 


Cuts  of  both  of  these  styles  of  houses  will  serve  to  show  their 
construction. 

A  "fresh  air"  house  that  proved  excellent  and  which  I  used  for 
years  on  my  ranch  was  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  long  and  ten 
feet  wide.  It  was  divided  into  six  houses  with  scratching  pens.  I 
also  had  another  which  suited  me  well.  It  was  eight  feet  wide  and 
a  hundred  feet  long;  besides  that,  I  had  twenty  colony  houses  for 
the  young  and  growing  stock,  and  two  brooder  houses. 

The  continuous  house  and  scratching  shed  of  which  I  give  a 
photograph  and  part  of  ground  plan  were  built  of  flooring,  tongued 
and  grooved. 

The  other  house  was  of  boards,  battened,  and  the  colony  houses 
of  resawed  redwood  or  of  shakes.  Some  were  of  rubberoid  or 
building  paper. 

Many  of  the  artistic  looking  house  plans. which  may  be  found  in 


poultry  books  were  planned  by  men  who  never  owned  a  chicken, 
and  if  built  in  this,  or  in  any  other  climate,  would  be  highly  unsatis- 
factory. The  plans  here  described  have  all  been  used  either  by 
myself  or  by  successful  poultry  raisers.  I  have  seen  them  all  and 
can  assuredly  recommend  them  for  use  on  the  Pacific  Coast. 

The  houses  I  am  describing  are  of  the  inexpensive  kind,  for  so 
great  is  the  variety  of  plans  of  houses  designed  for  fowls  that  it 
would  be  impossible  to  mention  them  all  in  a  short  article.  We  will, 
therefore,  consider  only  a  few  of  the  cheapest  and  most  satisfactory 
small  houses  adapted  to  this  climate. 

The  first  requisite  in  the  house  is  pure  air.  To  secure  this  the 
ventilation  must  be  at  the  bottom.  Some  people  think  that  the 
bad  air  ascends,  but  this  has  been  proved  a  mistake — the  foul  gases 
descend ;  the  pure  air  and  the  warm  air  are  lighter  and  they  rise 
and  we  want  to  keep  them  in,  but  if  we  have  an  opening  for  ven- 
tilation at  the  top  or  near  the  top  of  the  house,  we  lose  the 
warmth.  A  loss  of  warmth  at  night  in  the  winter  means  a  loss  of 
eggs,  or  more  food  is  needed  to  supply  this  loss.  The  ventilation 


12 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


should  either  be  at  the  bottom,  or  one  entire  side  of  the  house 
should  be  left  open. 

A  Variety  of  Houses 

The  accompanying  rough  little  cut  of  a  "mushroom"  house  will 
give  some  idea  of  the  bottom  ventilation.  Houses  like  this  were 
used  by  a  successful  poultryman.  He  made  a  light  frame  five  feet 
square  and  five  feet  high.  This  he  covered  with  canvas  and  the 
roof  he  made  of  rubberoid  roofing.  He  left  a  space  below  of  ten  or 
twelve  inches.  These  "mushroom"  houses  were  tipped  over  every 
day  to  be  sunned  or  cleaned.  I  improved  upon  his  plan  by  making 


OILED      MUSLIM 
PANEL 


ISFT. 

Hoffman's  Combination  Open  Front  House  and  Scratching  Pen 

a  door  of  one  whole  side,  for  I  wanted  to  be  able  to  handle  my  fowls 
at  night  without  tipping  the  house  over.  Perches  should  be  placed 
about  twelve  inches  above  the  open  space,  and  in  the  case  of  heavy 
breeds,  a  small  ladder  or  run  board  should  be  placed  for  them  to 
reach  the  perches  easily  when  going  to  roost.  The  advantages  of 
such  a  house  are  its  lightness,  and  the  free  circulation  of  air  without 
draughts  on  the  fowls.  These  houses  can  be  covered  with  matched 
lumber,  shakes,  canvas,  burlap,  rubberoid,  or  even  common  domestic 
muslin,  which  may  be  oiled  or  painted  with  crude  petroleum. 

The  open  front  house  is  admirably  adapted  to  California  climate. 
It  is  now  meeting  with  favor  even  in  the  rigorous  climate  of  the 
East,  where  poultry  raisers  begin  to  realize  the  value  of  fresh  air 
without  draughts,  if  they  want  to  have  vigorous  hens  that  will  lay 
eggs  in  the  winter  time.  I  have  been  using  the  open  front  houses 
of  various  sizes  for  over  twelve  years  and  can  assert  that  they  are 
the  only  kind  I  ever  want  to  use.  Another  style  open  front  house 
that  I  have  seen  and  like  very  much  is  fifteen  feet  by  eleven  feet  six 
inches,  and  is  seven  feet  high  at  the  back  and  four  feet  at  the  open 
front.  It  is  constructed  of  rubberoid  or  malthoid  and  is  almost 
vermin  proof.  It  is  divided  in  the  middle  by  chicken  wire,  so  form- 


COMMON  SENSE  POULTRY  HOUSES 

ing  either  one  house  or  two  as  required.  The  roof  is  first  covered 
with  two-inch  chicken  wire  to  support  the  rubberoid.  At  the  bot- 
tom of  the  walls  next  to  the  ground  it  is  boarded  up  for  about  two 
feet  all  the  way  round ;  this  is  to  keep  in  the  straw,  for  all  the  floor 
space  of  the  house  is  used  as  a  scratching  pen.  The  sides  and  back 
above  these  boards  are  made  of  panels  of  rubberoid  nailed  to  light 
frames  withovt  the  chicken  wire.  These  panels  are  taken  down  on 
all  fine  days  to  sun  and  air  the  house.  The  panels  are  kept  in  place 
by  large  wooden  buttons.  The  front  is  entirely  open  or  only  closed 
by  chicken  wire  except  wheji  it  rains,  then  a  burlap  curtain  is  let 
down.  The  perches  are.  near  the  back  of  the  house  about  six  inches 
above  the  dropping  boards.  The  dropping  boards  are  made  of  the 
rubberoid  on  frames.  They  are  four  feet  wide  and  are  placed  on 
cleats  two  feet  from  the  floor.  This  is  a  double  house  and  each 
side  will  hold  from  twelve  to  twenty  hens.  The  above  description 
is  of  the  Hoffman  house  pictured  on  page  12. 

A  cheap  and  substantial  house  can  be  made  of  two  piano  boxes. 
The  simplest  way  to  make  such  a  house  is  a?,  follows :  Removing 
the  backs  of  the  piano  cases,  place  the  cases  back  to  back  thirty 
inches  apart,  on  light  sills.  Use  the  boards  which  were  the  backs 
to  fill  up  the  thirty  inches  on  the  sides  and  roof ;  cover  the  roof 
with  rubberoid  or  with  oil  cloth,  and  you  have  a  comfortable  house, 
that  will  hold  about  a  dozen  or  twenty  hens,  at  a  small  cost.  The 
front  of  the  piano  box  house  should  either  be  hinged  so  it  can 
always  be  kept  open  except  during  the  rain  or  it  may  be  entirely 
dispensed  with  and  a  burlap  curtain  used  to  keep  out  the  rain.  The 
cost  of  this  piano  box  house  is  about  three  dollars. 

Inexpensive  Colony  Houses 

An  inexpensive  colony  house  is  pictured  below.  This  house 
is  of  resawed  redwood,  four  by  six  feet.  It  is  light  and  easily  moved. 


Open  Front  House  Without  Scratching  Shed 

The  front  is  on  hinges  and  it  is  always  kept  open  except  during  rain, 
and  when  it  is  closed  it  only  comes  down  six  inches  below  the 
perches,  leaving  an  open  space  of  about  fifteen  inches  across  the 
entire  front. 

Still  another  style  of  colony  house  and  one  well  adapted  for  use 
in  an  orchard  or  in  the  colony  plan  has  been  in  use  for  some  years 


14 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


on  a  large  poultry  ranch  in  California.  The  house  is  eight  by  ten 
feet  and  two  feet  to  the  eaves;  all  the  framework,  including  the 
runners,  is  of  two  by  three-inch  stuff,  and  the  walls  and  ends  are 
of  one  by  twelve-inch  boards,  shiplapped  so  as  to  avoid  using  bat- 


Biddy's  Bed-Room 

tens.  The  rafters  are  five  feet  four  inches  long,  and  three  pairs 
are  used ;  a  one  by  six  inch  strip  is  run  all  around  the  outside  of  the 
roof  to  form  the  eaves  and  also  to  make  it  tight ;  eight  pieces  of 
one  by  four  are  used  for  sheathing,  and  the  sawed  shakes  are  close 
so  that  there  is  no  draught  from  that  source ;  the  only  opening  is 
from  the  front,  which  is  open  at  all  times.  The  houses  do  not 
require  cleaning,  for  they  are  on  runners,  and  are  slid  along  about 
fifteen  feet  each  time.  Thus  they  are  on  fresh  ground  and  much 
cleaner  than  one  could  do  it  in  any  other  manner. 

The  Two-Story  House 

Among  the  hen  houses,  or  chicken  coops,  as  some  -people  prefer 
to  call  them,  that  are  being  used  very  satisfactorily  west  of  the 
Rockies,  must  be  mentioned  the  two-story  houses.  There  are 
especially  adapted  to  the  "intensive"  method  of  poultry  culture,  and 
for  limited  space. 

Two-story  breeding  houses  are  being  used  by  the  immense 
broiler  plant  near  Inglewood,  of  the  Pacific  Poultry  Co.  The 
houses  are  500  feet  long  and  only  eight  feet  wide,  and  have  no 
outside  runs.  It  is  a  close-housing  proposition,  that  is,  the  fowls 
are  never  allowed  outside  their  quarters.  The  houses  are  parti- 
tioned off  into  pens  every  five  feet,  and  these  are  divided  into  an 


COMMON  SENSE  POULTRY  HOUSES 


15 


upper  and  lower  story.     Each  pen  contains  ten  females  and  one 
male  for  breeding  purposes. 

The  ground  floor  is  covered  with  sand  to  the  deptfi  of  six  inches; 
this  is  raked  off  clean  every  week  and  the  sand  renewed  entirely 
when  necessary.  A  board  ladder  gives  the  fowls  access  to  the 


IS" 


L  J 


second  floor,  which  is  two  feet  above  the  sand  level.  On  the 
second  floor  is  located  the  scratching  pens — a  space  5  x  5  feet,  par- 
titioned off  next  to  the  open  front.  A  board  eight  inches  high  at 
the  back  keeps  the  straw  in  place.  The  remaining  three  by  five  feet 
is  divided  into  nest  boxes  and  a  broody  coop,  over  which  extends  a 
dropping  board,  with  roosts  above. 

The  front  of  the  house  from  eaves  to  ground  level  is  five  feet ; 
the  rear  of  house,  five  feet  six  inches,  thus  giving  the  fowls  plenty 
of  head  room  over  the  roosts.  Everything  on  this  floor,  roosts, 
dropping  board,  nests,  broody  coop,  etc.,  is  movable  and  can  be 
taken  out,  and  the  house  thoroughly  cleaned  and  disinfected  when 
necessary. 

Another  two-story  coop  has  been  named  by  the  inventor,  Mrs. 
A.  J.  Badger,  the  "Twentieth  Century  Coop."  It  makes  intensive 
poultry  culture  appeal  to  those  cramped  for  room. 

The  "Twentieth  Century  Coop,"  designed  by  Mrs.  A.  J.  Badger, 
is  also  a  two-story  coop,  intended  to  house  from  twelve  to  fifteen 
adult  fowls,  enclosed  all  the  time,  and  to  supply  sanitary  quarters 


16 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


in  all  kinds  of  weather.  It  occupies  a  ground  space  of  3  x  12  feet, 
front  elevation  5^4  feet,  rear  4^  feet.  It  can  be  completely  closed 
during  storms  or  opened  to  sun  and  air.  For  convenience  in  tak- 
ing apart  for  moving,  it  is  built  in  sections.  Canvas  forms  the 
outside  covering  for  the  coop.  This  coop  might  be  suitable  for 
those  with  limited  space. 


Closed 


Open 


A.  T.  Badger's  20th  Century  Coop 


In  conclusion,  to  quote  Mr.  Harker,  "If  every  poultry  keeper 
on  the  Pacific  Coast  would  make  his  roosting  houses  absolutely 
draught  proof  on  three  sides,  yet  leaving  the  front  entirely  open 
so  that  the  fowls  have  an  abundance  of  pure  air,  yet  not  to  be 
exposed  to  a  draught,  the  manufacturers  of  roup  remedies  would 
have  to  go  out  of  business,  for  this  disease  would  then  be  com- 
paratively unknown  from  Seattle  to  San  Diego." 


Arlington  Egg  Ranch  Continuous  House  and  Scratching  Shed 


COMMON  SENSE  POULTRY  HOUSES 
Painting  the  Houses 


17 


For  painting  the  houses  I  have  found  nothing  better  than  the 
crude  petroleum.  I  add  to  it  for  all  my  houses,  red  Venetian  paint 
mixed  with  a  little  kerosene  or  distillate  oil,  to  thin  it.  This  colors 
them  a  handsome  chocolate.  Creosote  stain  of  a  dark  green  is  also 
a  very  good  color,  harmonizing  well  with  the  landscape,  and  both 
of  these  are  preventive  of  mites  and  keep  their  color  well  for  several 
years.  A  good  whitewash  also  is  quite  suitable.  The  color  is  a 
matter  of  taste  after  all,  and  I  am  only  describing  the  inexpensive 


Roseneath  Egg  Ranch 

methods  I  and  others  have  successfully  used.  The  whole  plant, 
irrespective  of  size,  should  be  planned  symmetrically;  the  houses 
made  all  alike  and  placed  in  line;  the  large  in  one  row  and  the 
smaller  in  another  and  all  arranged  so  as  to  save  as  many  steps 
for  the  care-taker  as  possible.  A  little  forethought  in  this  matter 
at  the  beginning  may  save  many  steps  and  dollars  later  on. 


WHAT  VARIETY  TO  CHOOSE 


"Poultry  for  profit"  is  the  slogan.  We  are  all  looking  more  or 
less  for  the  "almighty  dollar."  Every  week,  almost  every  day,  I 
am  appealed  to  for  information  as  to  which  breed  is  the  most  profit- 
able. I  can  and  often  do  tell  which  breed  I  have  found  the  most 
profitable  in  the  twenty  years  I  have  bred,  but  I  cannot  decide  for 
another  person  what  his  or  her  likes  or  dislikes  may  be,  nor  can  I 
tell  what  poultry  will  suit  another's  location  or  market.  That,  each 
one  must  decide  for  himself  or  herself,  and  then  get  the  best  of  that 
breed  to  start  with. 

A  hint  as  to  what  to  start  with  may  help  some  of  our  readers. 
First  of  all  study  your  market,  decide  whether  it  requires  a  brown 
or  a  white  egg,  and  choose  accordingly ;  secondly,  decide  what  you 
will  do  with  the  surplus  chickens,  although  this  may  seem  like 
counting  the  chickens  before  they  are  hatched.  Will  you  sell 
them  as  broilers  and  fryers  or  use  them  as  roasters  or  capons? 
Thirdly,  it  is  always  a  good  plan  to  look  ahead  and  choose  a  breed 
with  a  prospective  value  and  demand — one  of  the  breeds  that  may 
be  rare  in  your  neighborhood,  or  one  of  the  newer  breeds,  such  as 
the  Orpingtons,  Columbian  Wyandottes  or  Faverolles.  Choose  a 
breed  for  which  there  is  likely  to  be  a  large  demand  for  eggs  for 
hatching  and  for  breeding  stock.  Or  else  take  one  of  the  best  old 
breeds  that  you  know  will  make  you  money  from  the  start.  What- 
ever breed  you  decide  upon,  get  the  best  of  that  breed,  and  from  a 
reliable  breeder. 

Different  Breeds 

A  brief  review  of  the  different  classes  and  breeds  of  domestic 
fowls  may  be  of  use  to  beginners.  There  are  a  large  number  of 
breeds  in  this  country  suitable  to  any  branch. of  the  business,  with 


White  Wyandotte  Cockerel 


WHAT  VARIETY  TO   CHOOSE 


19 


all  colors  of  plumage  and  size.  Some  especially  adapted  to  the 
farm,  others  to  closer  confinement,  as  on  the  city  lots,  and  still 
others — like  the  beautiful  little  bantams — adapted  to  lawns  and 
front  yards. 

The  American  Class 

The  American  class  consists  of  what  are  called  the  dual-purpose 
fowl.  That  is,  they  are  good  for  market  as  well  as  excellent  layers, 
so  when  their  day  of  usefulness  in  the  egg  basket  is  over,  they  can 
end  their  existence  on  the  table.  This  class  gives  us  the  Barred, 
Buff  and  White  Plymouth.Rock,  the  Silver,  Golden,  White,  Buff, 
Silver  Pencilled,  Black  and  Columbian  Wyandottes,  the  Single  and 
Rose  Comb  Rhode  Island  Reds,  the  Buckeyes,  the  Black,  White 
and  Mottled  Javas,  and  the  American  Dominique.  Of  the  list  no 
doubt  the  Barred  Plymouth  Rock  is  the  best  known  and  most 
popular;  it  may  be  said  to  lead  the  American  class.  Next  to  it 
in  popularity  is  the  White  Plymouth  Rock.  This  breed  led  in 
numbers  at  a  late  show  in  Madison  Square  Garden  in  New  York, 
which  is  a  sure  indication  of  its  popularity.  The  order  of  the  rest 
might  be  given  as  follows :  White  Wyandotte,  Rhode  Island  Reds, 
Buff  Wyandotte,  Buff  Plymouth  Rock,  Silver  Wyandotte,  Part- 
ridge Wyandotte,  Golden  Wyandotte,  Buckeyes,  American  Domin- 
ique, Black  Java. 

The  standard  weights  of  the  above  are  as  follows :  All  of  the 
Plymouth  Rocks,  cock,  9}/2  pounds ;  cockerel,  8  pounds ;  hens,  7l/2 
pounds,  and  pullets,  6l/2  pounds.  All  of  the  Wyandottes,  cock,  8^ 
pounds ;  cockerel,  7l/2  pounds ;  hen,  6]/2  pounds ;  and  pullet,  Sy2 


White  Wyandotte  Hen 
(1st  Prize) 


20  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


Typical  White  Leghorn  Cockerel 
(1st  Prize) 

pounds.  The  Rhode  Island  Reds,  cock,  8^  pounds ;  cockerel,  7]/2 
pounds;  hen,  6l/2  pounds;  pullet,  5  pounds.  Buckeyes,  half  a  pound 
heavier,  except  pullets.  The  Javas  are  of  the  same  weight  as  the 
Plymouth  Rocks,  and  the  American  Dominiques,  cock,  8  pounds ; 
cockerel,  7  pounds;  hen,  6  pounds;  pullet,  5  pounds. 

The  Mediterranean  Class 

In  the  Mediterranean  class  we  have  the  Single  and  Rose  Comb 
Brown,  Single  and  Rose  Comb  White,  Black,  Buff  and  Silver  Duck- 
wing  Leghorns;  the  Black  and  White  Minorcas;  the  Blue  Andalu- 
sians,  the  Black  Spanish  and  Mottled  Anconas. 


First  Prize  White  Leghorn  Hen 


WHAT  VARIETY  TO   CHOOSE 


21 


The  Mediterranean  class  is  particularly  well  adapted  to  the  cli- 
mate of  California,  which  greatly  resembles  that  of  their  home  in 
the  old  countries. 

In  point  of  popularity  and  merit,  the  kinds  might  be  classed  as 
follows :  White  Leghorn,  Brown  Leghorn,  Black  Minorca,  Blue 
Andalusian,  Black  Spanish,  Rose  Comb  Brown  Leghorn,  Rose 
Comb  White  Leghorn,  Buff  Leghorn,  White  Minorca,  Anconas, 
Silver  Duckwing  Leghorn  and  Black  Leghorn.  The  Black  Minorca, 
White  Leghorn  and  Black  Spanish  give  the  largest  sized  eggs. 

All  of  the  Mediterraneans  have  white  shelled  eggs.  There  is  no 
standard  weight  to  the  Leghorns.  They  are  small  birds,  weighing 
3  or  4  pounds.  Of  the  Black  and  White  Minorcas,  the  cock  weighs 
9  pounds ;  cockerel,  7l/2  pounds ;  hen,  7l/2  pounds ;  pullets,  6l/2 
pounds.  The  weight  of  the  Andalusians  are,  cock,  6  pounds ;  cock- 
erel, 5  pounds;  hen,  5  pounds;  pullets,  4  pounds. 

The  Black  Spanish  weights  are,  cock,  8  pounds;  cockerel,  6l/2 
pounds ;  hens,  6l/2  pounds ;  pullets,  Sl/2  pounds.  These  lay  an  extra 
large  handsome  white-shelled  egg. 

The  Blue  Andalusian  has  the  unique  distinction  of  wearing  the 
national  colors — red,  white  and  blue — its  plumage,  being  blue,  its 
face  and  eyes  red  and  its  ear-lobes  white. 

The  Asiatic  Class 

The  Asiatic  class  consists  of  the  Light  and  Dark  Brahmas, 
White  and  Black  Langshans,  the  Buff,  Partridge,  White  and  Black 
Cochins.  In  point  of  popularity  they  would  be  about  in  this  order : 


First  Prize  Black  Cochin  Hen 
(Never  defeated  in  ten  years) 


22  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

Light  Brahmas,  Black  Langshans,  Buff  Cochins,  Partridge  Co- 
chins, Dark  Brahmas,  White  Cochins,  White  Langshans  and  Black 
Cochins.  The  standard  weights  are :  Light  Brahmas,  cock,  12 
pounds;  cockerel,  10  pounds;  hen,  9l/2  pounds;  pullet,  8  pounds. 

Weights  for  Dark  Brahmas  are:  Cock,  11  pounds;  cockerel,  9 
pounds;  hen,  8^  pounds;  pullet,  7  pounds.  Buff,  Partridge  and 
White  Cochins:  Cock,  11  pounds;  cockerel,  9  pounds;  hen,  &V2 
pounds ;  and  pullet,  7  pounds ;  Black  and  White  Langshans :  Cock, 
10  pounds;  cockerel,  8  pounds;  hen,  7  pounds;  and  pullet,  6 
pounds.  The  eggs  of  all  of  the  Asiatic  class  are  a  dark  brown. 

The  English  Class 

The  English  class  is  composed  of  the  W'hite,  Silver-gray  and 
Colored  Dorkings,  the  Red  Caps  and  the  Buff,  Black,  White,  Span- 


A  Pair  of  Black  Orpingtons 

gled  and  Jubilee  Orpingtons  in  both  single  and  rose  combs.  The 
White  Dorking  weighs  as  follows :  Cock,  7]/2  pounds ;  cockerel,  6l/2 
pounds;  hen,  6  pounds;  and  pullet,  5  pounds;  Silver-gray  Dorkings, 
cock,  8  pounds ;  cockerel,  7  pounds ;  hen,  6y2  pounds ;  and  pullet,  5^2 
pounds;  Colored  Dorkings,  cock,  9  pounds;  cockerel,  8  pounds  ;  hen, 


White  Orpington  Hen 


WHAT  VARIETY  TO   CHOOSE  23 

7  pounds ;  and  pullet,  6  pounds ;  Red  Caps,  cock,  7^  pounds ;  cock- 
erel, 6  pounds ;  hen,  6  pounds ;  and  pullet,  5  pounds ;  Orpingtons, 
cock,  10  pounds;  cockerel,  8^2  pounds;  hen,  8  pounds;  and  pullet, 
7  pounds. 

The  French  Class 

The  French  class  is  composed  of  the  Houdans,  Crevecoeurs,  La- 
Fleche  and  Faverolles.  The  Houdans  weigh :  Cock,  7  pounds ; 
cockerel,  6  pounds ;  hen,  6  pounds ;  and  pullet,  5  pounds ;  the  Cre- 
vecoeurs, cock,  8  pounds ;  cockerel,  7  pounds ;  hen,  7  pounds ;  and 


Typical  Houdan  Hen 

pullet,  6  pounds.  The  Crevecoeurs  and  La  Fleche  are  favorites  in 
France,  but  are  rarely  found  in  this  country,  as  they  are  not  popu- 
lar in  the  market  here  on  account  of  their  dark  colored  shanks. 

The  Hamburg  Class 

The  Hamburg  class  is  composed  of  most  excellent  layers,  of 
white  eggs.  They  are  the  Silvered  Spangled,  Golden  Spangled, 
Silver  Penciled,  Golden  Penciled,  White  and  Black  Hamburgs,  and 
the  Silver  and  Golden  Campines.  No  weights  are  given  for  the 
Hamburgs  and  Campines. 

The  Polish  Class 

The  Polish  are  more  of  a  fancy  fowl.  They  are  the  White 
Crested  Black,  Golden,  Silver,  W7hite,  Bearded  Golden,  Bearded 
Silver,  Bearded  White  and  Buff  Laced.  They  lay  white  eggs;  no 
weights  are  given  in  the  Standard  for  them. 

The  Game  Class 

In  the  Game  class  we  have  the  Black  Breasted  Red,  Brown  Red, 
Golden  Duckwing,  Silver  Duckwing,  Red  Pyle,  White,  Black  and 


24 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


Birchen  Games,  Cornish  and  White  Indian  Games,  Black  Sumatras 
and  Black  Breasted  Red  Malays. 

The  standard  gives  no  weight  for  Games,  excepting  for  Indian 
Game  (now  called  Cornish  Fowl),  viz.:  Cock,  9  pounds;  cockerel, 
7y2  pounds;  hen,  6l/2  pounds;  and  pullet,  5l/2  pounds;  Malays, 
cock,  9  pounds ;  cockerel,  7  pounds ;  hen,  7  pounds ;  and  pullet, 
5  pounds. 

Turkeys 

The  most  popular  variety  of  turkeys  is  the  Bronze ;  then  comes 
the  White  Holland,  another  splendid  variety.  Among  others  we 
have  the  Black,  Buff,  Bourbon  Red,  Slate  Narragansett  and  Wild. 


Typical  Pair  Bronze  Turkeys 

The  weights  for  Bronze  are,  cock,  36  pounds ;  yearling  cock,  33 
pounds ;  cockerel,  25  pounds ;  hen,  20  pounds ;  and  pullet,  16  pounds ; 
for  White  Holland,  cock,  26  pounds;  cockerel,  18  pounds;  hen,  16 
pounds;  pullet,  12  pounds. 

Ducks 

The  Pekin  is  "The  American  Duck"  with  its  white  plumage  and 
heavily  meated  body.  Their  weight  is  as  follows :  Adult  drake,  8 
pounds ;  young  drake,  7  pounds ;  adult  duck,  7  pounds ;  young  duck, 
6  pounds.  Another  white  variety,  very  popular  in  England,  is  the 
Aylesbury.  Weight  for  adult  drake,  9  pounds;  young  drake,  8 
pounds ;  adult  duck,  8  pounds ;  young  duck,  7  pounds.  The  colored 
Rouen  have  similar  weights  and  plumage  to  the  Wild  Mallard,  the 
drakes  having  bright  green  heads.  Other  popular  varieties  are  the 


WHAT  VARIETY  TO   CHOOSE 


25 


Indian  Runners,  both  colored  and  white,  called  the  Leghorn  of 
the  duck  family,  being  rather  small,  very  active  and  immense  layers 
of  fine  white  eggs.  Then  there  are  the  Buff  Orpington  Ducks — 


Indian  Runner  Ducks 

becoming  very  popular;  the  Blue  Swedish,  Black  Cayuga,  Colored 
and  White  Muscovy,  Call  and  Black  East  India,  these  latter  being 
more  ornamental  varieties. 

Geese 

Perhaps  the  easiest  kept  and  noisiest  of  all  our  large  variety  of 
domestic  fowl  are  geese,  and  where  conditions  are  suitable,  they 
prove  very  profitable.  The  Toulouse,  a  large  gray  variety,  and  the 
White  Embden,  seem  the  most  popular  of  the  pure  bred  varieties, 
and  the  weights  for  either  variety  are,  for  adult  gander,  20  pounds ; 
young  gander,  18  pounds ;  adult  goose,  18  pounds ;  young  Toulouse 
goose,  15  pounds ;  and  Embden  young  goose,  16  pounds.  Other 
varieties  are  the  African,  Brown  and  White  Chinese,  Canadian  and 
Egyptian;  these  are  either  used  for  ornamental  purposes  or  for 
crossing. 

Selection  of  Breed 

Knowing  the  values  and  weights  of  the  different  standard 
breeds,  the  beginner  will  be  enabled  to  make  his  choice,  and  have 
no  trouble  in  finding  the  proper  selection. 

Supposing  egg  production  is  the  principal  object,  the  beginner 
will  have  to  decide  according  to  the  demand  of  his  nearest  market. 
Boston  requires  brown  eggs,  San  Francisco  white  eggs,  while  Los 
Angeles  seems  to  be  content  with  either.  If  you  are  living  near 
San  Francisco,  one  of  the  Mediterranean  breeds  will  prove  the  most 
valuable  to  you.  The  Minorcas,  Black  Spanish  and  some  of  the 
strains  of  White  Leghorns  lay  the  largest  and  finest  looking  eggs. 
One  correspondent  who  asks  for  justice  for  the  Minorcas  says  he 
has  Minorca  hens  which  lay  eggs  weighing  nearly  three  ounces, 
and  there  were  Leghorn  eggs  on  exhibition  in  a  late  poultry  show 
which  weighed  five  eggs  to  the  pound,  but  these  were  from  hens 
"bred  to  lay."  The  Brown  Leghorns  and  Hamburgs  give  many 
eggs — white  eggs  also — but  smaller,  which  is  an  objection  in  a 
good  market.  Should  broilers  be  the  object,  we  should  choose 


26 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


the  White  Wyandottes  or  White  Plymouth  Rocks.  These  latter 
are  exceptionally  fine  winter  layers.  For  roasters  and  capons,  the 
Light  Brahmas  or  any  of  the  Plymouth  Rocks  are  the  favorites. 
If  two  breeds  are  wanted,  we  should  personally  prefer  the  White 
Leghorns  and  White  Plymouth  Rocks.  The  White  Plymouth 
Rocks  will  give  the  winter  eggs  and  the  White  Leghorns  the  spring 
and  summer  eggs  in  great  abundance,  although  they  may  not  lay 
as  many  eggs  in  the  winter  as  the  White  Rocks.  In  the  early  spring 
the  White  Rock  eggs  can  be  set  for  early  broilers  and  roasters, 
while  the  Leghorns  are  doing  their  heaviest  laying,  and  in  April 
and  May  the  Leghorn  eggs  can  be  set  for  the  following  season's 
eggs.  In  this  manner  there  will  be  a  constant  succession  of  eggs 
for  market,  and  broilers  and  roasters  in  season.  Always  having 
something  to  sell  means  a  regular  income.  Something  to  market 
at  least  once  a  week.  A  poultry  and  egg  route  and  the  reputation 
of  having  none  but  the  choicest  goods  to  offer  is  the  secret  of 
success. 


WINNER  op 

*    SPECIAL  PRIZE- FoR 
'  BEST  SHAPED  MALE 

~ 


EGGS  FOR  BREEDING 


Having  chosen  the  breed  which  suits  us  best,  let  ws  talk  on  how 
to  get  the  most  out  of  that  breed,  for  I  think  we  are  all  agreed  that 
if  we  keep  poultry  for  profit,  we  want  to  make  as  much  as  we  can 
out  of  it.  Therefore,  having  got  our  fowls,  we  must  treat  them 
right.  The  natural  instinct  of  a  fowl  is  to  make  a  nest  for  itself  and 
raise  a  family  of  its  own  in  the  spring  time.  It  never  considers  its 
owner's  profit  or  loss ;  therefore  to  make  it  answer  our  purpose,  to 
develop  it  into  a  money-maker  for  us,  we  must  either  change  its 
nature  or  deceive  it.  We  must  let  it  imagine  that  it  is  the  time  of 
year  for  nest  making  and  family  raising.  We  must  supply  it  with 
the  conditions  of  springtime.  Our  own  lives  are  artificial  and  the 
conditions  surrounding  our  domestic  hens  are  also  artificial,  but 
we  must,  if  we  want  success,  copy  as  far  as  possible  Nature's  ways 
with  fowls  and  follow  Nature's  plans. 

In  the  spring  not  only  do  we  want  egg  production,  but  we  want 


Eggs  for  Breeding,  Packed  Correctly  for  Shipment 

good,  strong  fertility  in  our  eggs.  We  want  fertile  eggs  now,  for 
are  we  not  pre-arranging  to  have  plenty  of  vigorous  pullets  to  lay 
those  high-priced  market  eggs  next  fall?  Are  we  not  anticipating 
sturdy  cockerels  to  win  prizes  at  next  winter's  shows,  or  to  make 
toothsome  frys  or  delicious  roasts? 

Fertile  eggs  are  now  in  order.  How  shall  we  get  them  ?  First, 
we  must  have  vigorous  and  healthy  parent  birds ;  we  usually  have 
healthy  birds  in  the  spring  of  the  year,  for  the  moult  is  well  over 
and  the  ailments  which  prevail  in  the  fall — colds,  catarrh  and  sore 
throats,  all  classed  as  roup — have  yielded  to  treatment,  or  the  vic- 
tims are  no  more.  The  chicken  pox,  which  also  is  a  fall  disease, 
has  about  disappeared,  and  the  birds  are  in  good  condition. 

Vigor  is  Necessary 

Vigor  is  the  first  requisite  for  fertile  eggs.  To  have  vigor,  the 
hens  must  have  exercise ;  every  grain  they  eat  should  be  scratched 


28  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

or  dug  out  of  the  straw  or  litter  in  their  scratching  pen.  A  hen 
that  is  very  fat — over  iat — will  not  have  fertile  eggs  and  will  not 
have  strong,  sturdy  chickens.  It  is  neither  kind  nor  wise  to  over- 
fatten  your  breeding  hens,  but  they  must  be  fed  the  proper  food  for 
fertility.  How  can  we  decide  what  food  to  feed  for  fertility?  Let 
us  interrogate  Nature  again.  The  wild  bird,  the  Gallus  Bankiva 
from  which  sprung  all  our  domestic  fowls,  lays  her  eggs  and  raises 
her  young  only  in  the  spring.  She  only  has  two  broods  of  about 
thirteen  eggs  each,  but  those  eggs  are  rarely  infertile.  What  does 
she  eat?  Principally  insects  and  the  tender  green  grasses  or  small 
leaves,  not  much  grain,  for  the  seeds  have  fallen  and  have  begun 
to  sprout  and  grow. 

During  the  winter  Nature  has  supplied  the  birds  with  grains  in 
plenty,  so  they  have  put  on  fat  to  withstand  the  cold ;  but  now  there 
are  only  a  few  grains  left  and  the  fowls  are  becoming  thinner,  yet 
Nature  does  not  starve  them,  only  gradually  changes  the  ration  and 
gives  them  worms  and  larvae,  insects  of  all  kinds,  for  the  insect  life 
has  also  commenced  to  pulsate  and  develop;  the  buds  are  bursting, 
too,  and  the  tender  green  appears  and  beautiful  spring  is  here,  pro- 
viding all  the  green  food  they  can  eat.  How  about  our  captive 
hens?  In  our  bare  back  yards,  with  only  the  ration  we  choose  to 
give  them?  Poor  things;  they  have  a  natural  craving  for  the  tender 
green,  a  wild  desire  for  the  succulent  insect  or  animal  food !  See, 
how  they  will  fight  over  or  scramble  for  the  meat  that  is  thrown 
to  them,  or  for  the  head  of  lettuce !  They  try  to  tell  us  in  their 
own  way  what  they  require  to  produce  fertile  eggs  at  this  season 
of  the  year. 

How  to  Feed 

How  shall  we  follow  their  teachings?  Increase  the  amount  of 
their  animal  food  and  give  the  breeding  fowls  more  green  food. 
How  shall  we  do  this?  Increase  gradually  whatever  animal  food 
we  are  now  feeding  until  from  20  to  30  per  cent  of  their  daily  food 
is  animal  food.  The  best  animal  food  is  fresh  meat  of  some  kind  ; 
the  scraps  and  bones  left  over  at  the  market ;  this  ground  or  chopped 
finely  is  the  best  I  know  of.  Rabbits,  squirrels,  gophers,  are  all 
good  fresh  meat.  If  fresh  meat  cannot  be  obtained,  you  can  get  at 
the  poultry  supply  houses  granulated  milk,  dried  blood,  blood  and 
bone,  beef-scrap  and  other  animal  food.  The  best  green  food  is 
fresh-cut  clover  lawn  clippings,  green  alfalfa,  lettuce,  cabbage  and 
other  vegetables. 

The  Male  Bird 

The  male  bird  is  considered  as  half  the  pen.  The  germ  or  seed 
of  life  of  the  future  chicken  is  from  the  male.  Be  sure  to  have  the 
male  vigorous  and  healthy,  and  see  to  it  that  he  gets  sufficient  food 
of  the  right  quality.  The  male  bird  is  often  so  gallant  that  he  calls 
up  his  wives  and  they  greedily  eat  all  the  best  part  of  the  food, 
choosing  first  the  meat  or  animal  part,  which  is  the  most  necessary 
for  fertility,  and  the  husband,  the  father  of  future  chicks,  on  which 
so  much  depends,  is  half  starved,  becomes  thin  and  light.  Every 


EGGS  FOR  BREEDING  29 

male  bird  when  being  used  to  fertilize  eggs  should  be  fed  extra, 
either  in  a  pen  or  corner  by  himself,  or  out  of  your  hand  at  least 
once  a  day. 

Mating 

In  mating  up  the  pens  I  have  found  the  most  satisfactory  num- 
ber to  mate  is  about  eight  or  not  over  ten  females  of  the  American 
breeds  to  one  male.  From  twelve  to  fifteen  of  the  Leghorns  or 
Mediterranean  birds,  and  from  six  to  eight  of  the  Asiatic  class  to 
one  male.  Some  breeders  advocate  using  two  male  birds  in  one 
pen,  alternating  them  day  about,  or  three  male  birds  for  two  pens, 
allowing  one  bird  to  rest  every  second  or  third  day.  I  never  did 
this,  because  I  was  keeping  a  pedigree  of  my  fowls,  and  never  found 
any  necessity  for  it. 

Caring  for  Fertile  Eggs 

Having  the  fertility  assured,  the  next  thing  is  to  take  care  of  the 
eggs  from  the  time  they  are  laid  until  incubation  begins.  Eggs 
should  be  kept  in  a  moderately  cool,  quiet  place;  not  in  a  draught. 
I  always  imitate  Nature  and  turn  the  eggs,  just  as  a  hen  would, 
every  day,  keeping  them  in  a  box  either  in  the  cellar  or  a  large, 
dark,  but  airy,  closet.  Some  people  keep  them  in  fillers  with  the 
little  end  down,  but  I  prefer  following  Nature's  ways  and  leaving 
them  on  their  side. 

To  Choose  Eggs  for  Hatching 

To  choose  the  eggs  for  hatching  I  use  an  egg  tester  or  I  roll  up 
a  copy  of  the  Pacific  Poultry  Craft  in  the  shape  of  a  telescope,  put- 
ting the  egg  at  one  end  in  the  sun  and  my  eye  at  the  other  end.  If 
the  egg  shell  is  speckled  or  thin  at  one  end,  or  has  thin  blotches  on 
it,  or  is  misshapen  in  any  way,  or  if  it  feels  chalky  to  the  touch,  I 
reject  that  egg,  relegating  it  to  the  kitchen,  for  these  eggs  will  not 
hatch.  I  also  reject  very  small  eggs,  as  they  are  laid  by  pullets  or 
by  over-fat  hens  and  if  they  hatch,  the  chickens  will  be  weaklings. 
The  very  large  eggs  should  also  be  rejected,  as  they  may  have 
double  yolks,  and  these  seldom  hatch  healthy  chickens.  Above  all, 
never  sell  for  hatching  eggs  those  as  described  above.  The  best 
eggs  are  the  egg-shaped  eggs,  with  good,  firm,  smooth  shells  and 
not  narrow  waisted. 


EGGS  FOR  MARKET 


The  hen  in  her  wild  state  lays  about  thirty  eggs  per  year.  The 
farmer's  average  hen  lays  not  over  one  hundred.  On  egg  farms 
the  average  is  150,  and  some  of  the  fowls  of  the  "bred  to  lay"  strains 
will  average  even  more. 

There  are  365  days  in  the  year,  and  I  do  not  see  why  a  pullet  that 
is  fully  matured,  that  comes  from  an  egg-laying  strain,  a  pullet 
properly  fed  and  cared  for,  should  not  lay  over  200  eggs  per  year ; 
in  fact,  I  have  had  hens  that  will  do  even  better  than  that.  I  will 
admit  that  a  hen  will  not  lay  200  eggs  a  year  without  constant  and 
intelligent  care,  and  the  question  confronting  us  is,  will  the  addi- 
tional number  of  eggs  pay  for  this  care?  Also  how  shall  we  give 
this  care  and  secure  these  results? 

You  hear  of  heredity  and  pedigree  in  cows,  in  horses,  in  dogs. 
Heredity  is  as  important  with  hens  as  with  any  other  stock.  Here- 
dity has  as  much  to  do  with  the  success  of  hens  as  the  right  hand- 
ling. Heredity  (or  pedigree)  and  handling  must  go  together.  The 
two-hundred-egg  hen  must  be  "bred  to  lay."  She  must  come  from 
an  egg-producing  family.  No  matter  how  scientifically  a  hen  is 
fed,  or  how  well  housed,  you  cannot  make  an  extra  fine  layer  out  of 
one  whose  parents  for  generations  past  have  been  poor  layers.  It  is 
impossible  -to  take  a  flock  of  mongrels  and  scrubs  and  get  200  eggs 
each  a  year  from  them,  although  good  handling  will  greatly  increase 
the  yield  of  even  mongrel's. 

The  different  breeds  require  different  handling,  but  no  matter 
what  breed  you  have,  there  are  three  essentials  to  egg  production- 
comfort,  exercise  and  proper  food: 

Comfort 

Under  the  head  of  comfort  comes  first  of  all  cleanliness.  A  hen 
that  has  lice,  or  fleas,  or  mites,  or  ticks  on  her  cannot  lay  her  full 
amount  of  eggs.  You  must  help  the  hen  in  her  efforts  to  make  you 
money.  Give  her  every  encouragement  to  lay.  Cleanliness  every- 
where. A  comfortable,  enticing  nest,  rather  dark,  where  she  "may 
stealthily  deposit  her  precious  egg.  Renew  with  nice  clean  straw 
once  a  month.  Do  everything  to  coax  the  hens  to  lay.  If  trap- 
nests  are  used,  there  should  be  enough  of  them  so  that  the  hens 
will  not  be  kept  waiting,  for  by  keeping  a  hen  off  the  nest  she  will 
frequently  retain  her  egg  until  the  next  day,  and  will  soon  learn  to 
be  a  poor  layer.  Cleanliness  means  a  clean,  sweet-smelling  roost- 
ing place,  where  she  may  sleep  undisturbed  by  lice  or  mites.  Just 
think  for  a  moment  how  in  the  human  family  a  fresh,  clean  bed  in 
a  quiet  room  will  court  slumber.  I  have  passed  the  night  in  an 
Arab's  tent  in  Africa  that  was  infested  with  fleas,  and  my  heart  is 
full  of  sympathy  for  a  hen  that  has  to  live  in  some  of  the  mite- 
infested  henneries  I  have  seen  in  California.  Under  this  head  comes 
freedom  from  draughts.  A  draught  in  this  country  will  give  hu- 
man beings  face  ache,  neuralgia,  earache  and  a  swelled  face.  It  has 
exactly  the  same  effect  on  hens.  Influenza,  swelled  head,  roup,  al- 


EGGS  FOR  MARKET  31 

ways  or  almost  always  commence  from  a  draught  (combined  with 
lice).  Comfort  means  also  pure,  fresh  air  without  any  draught,  and 
pure,  fresh  water  to  drink. 

Exercise 

You  know  how  in  the  human  family  exercise  is  recommended. 
Physical  culture,  gymnastics,  Ralston  exercises,  Swedish  move- 
ments, fencing,  etc.,  and  those  who  may  be  too  feeble  to  exercise  for 
themselves,  pay  others  to  rub,  pound  and  knead  or  massage  them  to 
get  the  same  effect. 

Exercise  is  as  necessary  for  the  hen  as  for  the  human  being  and 
more  so,  for  the  hen's  exercise  of  scratching  develops  the  egg  pro- 
ducing organs  and  strengthens  them,  and  hens  which  exercise  lay 
many  more  eggs  than  lazy  hens.  If  you  have  a  vigorous  scratcher 
among  your  hens,  you  may  be  sure  she  is  a  good  layer. 

Exercise  a  hen  must  have  to  develop  the  egg-making  organs. 
She  absolutely  must  scratch  if  she  is  to  make  a  living  for  herself 
and  you.  I  consider  a  scratching  pen  as  necessary  for  hens  in  con- 
finement as  food.  My  scratching  pens  were  twelve  or  fifteen  feet 
long  and  eight  feet  wide,  but  in  small  yards  I  have  made  very  satis- 
factory little  pens  by  nailing  four  boards  six  feet  long  together, 
forming  a  square.  The  boards  should  be  twelve  inches  wide  and 
the  pen  filled  with  wheat  straw  or  alfalfa  hay  or  any  good  litter. 
I  do  not  like  barley  straw  on  account  of  the  beards,  which  some- 
times run  into  the  hen's  eyes,  nostrils,  or  mouth  and  cause  death. 
Foxtails,  burr  clover  and  wild  oats  are  all  dangerous  on  this  ac- 
count. 

I  feed  all  the  grain  scattered  over  the  straw  and  my  hens  scratch 
and  dig  happily  all  day  long.  The  straw  or  hay  is  soon  broken 
into  short  pieces  and  fresh  straw  must  be  added  about  once  a  week, 
and  the  whole  cleaned  out  and  used  for  mulching  trees  when  the 
straw  becomes  dirty.  This  will  depend  upon  the  size  of  the  pen  and 
the  number  of  hens  using  it. 

Proper  Food    ' 

What  it  is  and  how  much  to  give.  The  scientists  tell  us  that 
the  proper  food  or  the  "balanced  ration"  is  composed  of  one  part 
of  protein  to  four  parts  of  carbo-hydrates.  Before  discussing  this 
"balanced  ration,"  let  us  interrogate  Nature  and  find  out  how  a  hen 
balances  her  own  ration. 

Let  us  take  a  hen  as  she  comes  in  from  foraging  in  the  fields 
after  a  long  day  in  summer.  Let  us  kill  her  and  examine  her  crop. 
What  do  we  find?  Grains  of  wheat,  barley,  corn,  according  to 
where  her  rambles  have  led  her ;  bits  of  grass,  clover  and  vege- 
tables ;  some  bugs,  worms  and  grasshoppers ;  here  and  there  a  bit 
of  gravel  and  a  lot  of  matter  partially  digested  that  we  cannot 
recognize.  The  first  thing  that  impresses  us  is  that  the  hen  likes 
variety,  and  the  second  thing  that  this  variety  consists  of  animal 
food  (bugs,  worms,  insects),  grains  and  green  food.  This  is  the 
"balanced  ration,"  balanced  by  the  hen  herself  to  suit  her  needs  in 
the  summer  time  when  eggs  are  plentiful.  If  we  want  eggs  in  the 


32  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

winter,  we  must,  as  far  as  possible,  give  the  same  conditions,  the 
same  variety  of  foods,  with  plenty  of  pure,  fresh  water,  never  for- 
getting that  about  seventy  per  cent  of  the  egg  is  water. 

But  to  return  to  the  "balanced  ration."  We  know  that  a  hen 
requires  a  certain  amount  of  food  to  keep  her  alive  and  thriving; 
above  that  the  surplus  goes  either  to  making  the  egg  inside  her  or 
to  making  fat. 

The  hen  is  an  egg-making  machine,  but  if  you  put  into  that  ma- 
chine none  of  the  elements  of  the  egg,  you  cannot  expect  the 
machine  to  turn  out  eggs. 

Therefore,  the  scientists  analyzed  the  egg,  and  not  only  that,  but 
also  analyzed  the  body  of  the  hen  with  the  feathers,  and  discovered 
as  follows :  The  very  large  number  of  different  substances  found  in 
the  hen  may  be  grouped  under  four  heads:  1,  water;  2,  ash  or 
mineral  matter ;  3,  protein  (or  nitrogenous  matter)  ;  4,  fat.  The 
proportion  of  each  of  these  groups  alter  with  the  condition  of  the 
hen.  Water  is  the  largest  ingredient  and  amounts  to  from  forty  to 
sixty  per  cent  of  the  weight  of  the  bird.  Ash  or  mineral  matter 
forms  from  three  to  six  per  cent  when  the  hen  is  not  laying,  and 
from  six  to  ten  per  cent  when  laying.  The  groups  called  protein 
constitute  from  fifteen  to  thirty  per  cent  of  the  weight.  Fat  seldom 
falls  below  six  or  rises  above  thirty  per  cent. 

The  feathers  are  composed  of  protein  and  ash,  the  ash  being 
largely  silicate  of  potash  and  lime. 

The  accompanying  analysis  of  the  hen,  pullet  and  egg  has  been 
kindly  sent  to  me  by  Professor  Jaffa ;  that  of  the  egg  was  made  by 
him  at  the  University  Laboratory  of  California. 

Analysis  of  Hen  and  Egg 

Typical  Pullet  in  Capon, 

Leghorn  full  laying,  Plymouth  Eggs  as  Eggs,  edible 

Hen  Leghorn  Rock  Purchased  Portion 

Water    56.8  57.4  41.6  65.6  73.7 

Protein   21.6  21.2  19.4  11.8  13.3 

Ash    3.8  3.4  3.7  .7        .  .8 

Fat  17.8  18.0  35.3  10.8  12.2 

Shell    ...  ...  11.1 

Total   100.0  100.0  100.0  100.0  100.0 

Composition  of  Hen  and  Egg 
Calculated  on  a  Water-free  Basis 

Protein    50.0  49.8  34  3  50  5 

Fat    41.2  42.2  31.4  46.4 

Ash     8.8  8.0  2.1  3.1 

Shell   32.2 


Total    100.0  100.0  100.0  100.0 

It  is  interesting  to  compare  the  analysis  of  the  hen  and  egg  with 
some  of  our  grains  and  poultry  foods,  but  it  would  take  more  time 
than  is  permissable  in  a  short  talk.  In  all  our  grains  are  found  more 
kor  less  the  elements  of  the  egg,  but  they  are  not  in  the  right  or 


EGGS  FOR  MARKET 


33 


proper  proportion  for  making  the  egg.  There  is  usually  too  much 
of  the  fattening  element  in  the  grains  and  not  enough  protein  or 
nitrogenous  element,  which  forms  the  meat,  musple,  bone  and 
feather.  This  is  the  most  valuable  and  most  expensive  part  of  the 
ration. 

In  order  to  keep  up  the  strength  of  the  hen  and  have  her  produce 
the  largest  amount  of  eggs,  it  has  been  found  that  for  every  pound 
of  protein  in  the  food,  she  must  have  four  pounds  of  carbo  hydrates. 
This  will  vary  slightly  according  to  the  heat  of  the  weather  and  the 
needs  of  the  hen. 

I  wish  I  could  go  more  fully  into  this  interesting  and  important 
subject,  but  space  forbids  it.  I  would  urge  you  to  send  a  postal  to 
the  University  of  California  at  Berkeley,  asking  for  the  Farmer's 
Bulletin  No.  164  on  Poultry  Feeding.  This  bulletin,  by  Professor 
Jaffa,  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  bulletins  ever  published.  It  con- 
tains the  analysis  of  the  different  grains,  vegetables  and  meats  and 
of  most  of  the  proprietary  foods,  besides  formulas  for  the  best 
rations. 


Roseneath  Ranch  Long  Breeding  House 


THE  FEEDING  PROBLEM 


The  three  essentials  of  egg  production,  the  three  essentials  of 
profit  in  poultry  keeping,  the  three  essentials  for  vigor  and  health 
in  fowls  are — comfort,  exercise  and  proper  food. 

Let  us  consider  (1)  the  proper  food,  (2)  the  methods  of  feeding 
it,  and  (3)  recipes  for  a  few  tried  balanced  rations. 

Practical  knowledge  and  skill  in  feeding  can  be  acquired  without 
the  study  of  science.  Feeding  fowls  for  good  results  is  a  com- 
paratively simple  matter. 

Requirements  in  Feeding 

The  food  which  a  fowl  consumes  has  three  chief  functions  to 
perform:  (1)  to  sustain  life,  promote  life,  repair  waste  and  produce 
eggs ;  (2)  to  keep  the  body  warm  ;  (3)  to  furnish  strength  or  energy 
which  is  expended  in  every  movement.  The  fowl  is  also  able  to 
store  food,  not  needed  at  the  time  it  is  eaten,  for  future  use;  this 
store  is  chiefly  in  the  form  of  fat,  which  serves  as  a  reserve  supply 
of  fuel. 

Food  Elements 

To  supply  the  three  functions  in  the  life  of  a  fowl  there  are  three 
principal  food  elements :  Proteins,  carbo-hydrates  and  fat ;  all  of 
these  are  contained  in  the  different  grains  and  foods  used  for 
poultry. 

(1)  Proteids    (or  protein)    albuminous   or   nitrogenous   matter. 
Protein  is  the  nourishing  matter,  the  principal  tissue  former,  sup- 
plying material  for  bone,  muscle,  blood,  feathers,  eggs.     Its  latent 
energy  can  also  be  converted  into  heat  and  energy;  but  it  is  more 
costly  for  such  purposes  than  the  non-nitrogenous  foods. 

(2)  Carbo-hydrates,  carbonaceous  matter,   starches  and  sugar. 
Carbo-hydrates  form  the  bulk  in  nearly  all  foods  and  are  the  prin- 
cipal sources  of  heat  and  energy. 

(3)  Fats  are  found  in  almost  all  foods.    They  furnish  heat  and 
energy  in  addition  to  the  supply  from  the  carbo-hydrates.     Fat  also 
enters  largely  into  the  composition  of  the  yolk  of  the  egg. 

All  three  food  elements  are  necessary.  The  proper  combin- 
ations of  these  three  is  called  the  "balanced  ration."  It  is,  in 
other  words,  a  "complete"  ration,  containing  in  proper  proportions 
the  necessary  food  elements  to  promote  (1)  growth,  including  egg 
production,  (2)  warmth,  and  (3)  energy  or  strength.  The  needs 
of  a  fowl's  system  are  not  always  the  same;  it  does  not  always 
need  the  different  elements  to  be  in  the  same  proportions ;  the  ra- 
tion properly  balanced  (or  suitable)  for  a  growing  chick  would  be 
unbalanced  (unsuitable)  for  the  mature  hen.  The  food  to  be  a 
balanced  ration  must  be  adapted  to  the  present  needs  of  the  fowl. 

Methods  of  Feeding 

The  question  of  how  to  feed  and  what  to  feed  for  the  best  results 
in  egg  production,  is  the  most  difficult  problem  in  poultry  keeping, 
and  has  for  some  time  been  engaging  the  attention  of  the  various 


THE  FEEDING  PROBLEM  35 

Government  Experiment  Stations  in  this  and  other  countries.  The 
two  successful  systems  in  use  at  the  present  time  are  the  Mash 
system  and  the  Dry  Feed  system. 

The  mash  system  is  one  in  which  a  mash  is  fed  once  or  twice  a 
day.  The  foundation  of  the  mash  is  bran,  middlings,  and  corn  meal 
or  chops.  It  is  mixed  wet,  raw,  scalded  or  cooked.  The  dry  feed 
system  is  when  a  dry  mash  is  fed,  consisting  of  the  same  ingredients 
as  the  wet  mash,  but  dry.  Dry  feeding  is  used  by  many  regularly, 
and  is  becoming  more  popular  every  year. 

The  advantages  of  a  mash  are  that  by  its  means  the  food  ration 
for  the  whole  day  can  be  properly  balanced ;  the  nutritive  ratio 
varied  and  controlled  and  the  waste  vegetables  and  table  leavings 
utilized  to  the  best  advantage. 

In  mash  feeding  the  errors  to  be  avoided  are :  Too  concentrated 
a  mash  with  too  much  meat  or  fat;  too  light  or  bulky,  that  is, 
composed  principally  of  bran  or  hay;  too  wet  or  sloppy  or  sour 
or  mouldy.  Experience  has  shown  that  feeding  wet  mashes  more 
than  once  a  day  has  bad  effects,  producing  indigestion  in  various 
forms. 

The  advantages  of  the  dry-feed  system  are :  A  saving  of  labor  to 
the  feeder,  is  lighter  to  handle  and  much  easier  to  mix.  It  can  be 
fed  in  the  morning.  The  fowls  are  obliged  to  eat  it  slowly;  they 
cannot  swallow  it  in  a  few  minutes.  It  will  not  freeze  in  cold 
weather  nor  become  sour  in  hot  weather,  and  the  fowls  will  not 
over-eat  with  the  dry  feed. 


An  Excellent  Feed  Hopper,  Good  Both  for  Young  and  Old  Fowls 

These  hoppers  are  made  8  feet  long  and  the  trough  is  8  inches  wide 

and  4  inches  deep,  with  a  projecting  strip  on  top  ^  inch  to  keep  the 

chicks   from  pulling   out   the   feed.     The   slats   are   3   inches   apart. 

The  chief  consideration  in  dry-feeding  is  that  fowls  require  about 
three  times  as  much  water  to  drink  as  with  the  wet  mash ;  also 
unless  the  dry  food  is  placed  in  hoppers  or  fed  in  boxes  at  least 
four  inches  deep,  it  is  apt  to  be  wasted.  The  two  systems  supply 
the  requirements  of  the  fowls  in  slightly  different  ways  and  both 
are  used  very  successfully. 

SAMPLE  RATIONS 

The  rations  here  given  have  been  tested  and  proved  excellent  by 
some  of  the  most  successful  poultry  breeders  in  this  country. 


36  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

Ration  for  Chicks  Intended  for  Breeders 

First  meal,  when  chieks  are  36  hours  old :  Rolled  or  flake  break- 
fast oats,  dry ;  give  scattered  on  sand  every  three  hours,  then  feed 
chick  food.  This  is  a  number  of  small  or  broken  dry  grains  which 
can  be  bought  at  the  poultry  supply  houses.  The  use  of  hard  grain 
diet  like  chick  feed,  develops  the  digestive  organs  and  keeps  them 
healthy.  The  chick  feed  prepared  by  reliable  firms  is  excellent. 
For  those  who  prefer  to  mix  their  own  chick  feed,  the  following 
is  a  good  recipe :  Cracked  wheat,  30  pounds ;  steel-cut  or  rolled 
breakfast  oats,  30  pounds;  finely  cracked  corn,  15  pounds;  millet, 
rice,  pearl  barley,  rape  seed,  finely  ground  beef  scraps  or  granulated 
milk,  dried  granulated  bone,  chick  grit,  10  pounds ;  granulated  char- 
coal, 5  pounds.  In  the  chick  feeds  wheat,  oats  and  corn  are  the 
staples,  the  most  necessary  part  of  the  ration.  Feed  at  6  a.m. 
chick  feed  scattered  in  chaff;  9  a.m.  rolled  or  steel-cut  oats;  11 
a.m.  green  lettuce;  1  p.m.  chick  feed;  3  p.m.  green  feed,  lettuce, 
clover  or  potatoes  chopped  fine ;  4 :30  p.m.  hard  boiled  eggs  (4  for 
100  chicks),  chopped  shell  and  all,  with  the  same  amount  of  onions 
and  twice  the  amount  of  bread  crumbs  or  rolled  oats  or  Johnny- 
cake.  One  fountain  of  skim  milk  and  one  of  clean  water  always 
before  them  and  renewed  three  times  a  day.  Very  coarse  sand  and 
granulated  charcoal  should  be  always  before  them. 

Toward  the  end  of  the  second  week  mix  a  little  whole  wheat, 
hulled  oats  and  kaffir  corn  with  the  chick  food,  gradually  increasing 
it,  until  at  the  end  of  the  sixth  week  they  will  be  eating  this  entirely. 

Ration  for  Broilers 

For  the  first  two  weeks  use  the  same  feed  as  given  for  the  breed- 
ers. Third  week,  6  a.m.  chick  feed;  9  a.m.  mash,  1  part  each  of 
bran,  cornmeal  and  rolled  oats,  and  a  little  salt ;  mix  with  skim 
milk,  making  a  crumbly  dry  feed  in  a  small  dish  or  trough,  taking 
away  all  there  is  left  in  fifteen  minutes;  11  a.m.  lettuce  or  clover; 
1  p.m.  rolled  oats;  3  p.m.  chopped  raw  potatoes;  4:30  p.m.  mash 
same  as  in  the  morning.  Fourth  week,  6  a.m.  chick  feed;  9  a.m. 
mash,  adding  5  per  cent  beef  scraps  or  cracklings;  1  p.m.  chopped 
potatoes;  4:30  p.m.  mash,  same  as  in  the  morning.  Keep  grit  and 
charcoal  always  before  them,  with  skim  milk  and  pure  water.  Fin- 
ish off  at  six  to  eight  weeks  by  gradually  adding  from  five  to  ten 
per  cent  of  cotton-seed  meal  and  a  little  molasses  with  the  mash. 

Ration  for  Laying  Hens 

In  order  to  keep  up  the  strength  of  the  hen  and  have  her  produce 
the  largest  amount  of  eggs,  it  has  been  found  that  for  every  pound 
of  protein  in  the  food  she  must  have  four  pounds  of  carbo-hydrates. 
Many  instances  may  be  cited  in  which  the  rations  fed  to  laying  hens 
differed  greatly,  but  have  been  productive  of  excellent  results,  pro- 
vided they  contain  a  sufficient  quantity  of  digestible  protein.  The 
following  rations  have  proven  successful : 

I  will^give  a  formula  that  I  have  used  for  many  years  after  ex- 
perimenting with  others,  and  will  give  some  that  are  being  used 


THE  FEEDING  PROBLEM  37 

at  the  present  time  by  prominent  and  successful  breeders  near 
here.  There  are  many  other  breeders,  but  I  happen  to  have  these 
by  me  and  have  not  those  of  the  others.  The  Basley  formula  is  as 
follows :  By  measure,  2  parts  heavy  bran,  1  part  alfalfa  meal,  1 
part  corn  meal,  1  part  oatmeal  (called  Breakfast  Flaked  Oats),  1 
part  beef  scraps  or  meat  meal  or  granulated  milk,  a  little  pepper  and 
salt;  keep  this  in  a  hopper  or  feed  box.  At  noon  green  feed.  In 
the  evening  grain,  wheat,  kaffir  corn  or  cracked  corn,  barley,  hulled 
oats,  equal  parts,  mixed  and  scattered  in  straw  in  the  scratching 
pen.  Fresh  water  constantly  before  them ;  if  they  run  out  of 
water,  the  egg  yield  will  stopu  I  keep  before  the  fowls  at  all  times 
sharp  grit,  crushed  oyster  shells,  charcoal  and  granulated  dried  bone. 
At  moulting  time  I  add  to  the  grain  sunflower  seed,  and  to  the 
dry  mash  linseed  meal.  The  reason  I  feed  oatmeal  is  that  I  always 
feed  for  vigor.  I  want  the  parent  birds  to  be  vigorous  and  the 
eggs  to  have  such  an  amount  of  protein  in  them  that  the  chicks 
will  not  fail  in  being  vigorous.  There  is  no  food  equal  to  oats  for 
giving  vigor.  The  reason  I  feed  alfalfa  is  that  although  it  shows 
on  analysis  almost  the  same  protein  content  as  bran,  it  gives  the 
yolk  of  the  eggs  a  rich  orange  hue  which  bran  fails  to  impart.  All 
fowls  need  plenty  of  green  food  and  clean  water.  The  green  food 
is  the  cheapest  food  you  can  give  and  keeps  the  digestive  organs 
in  good  condition.  Green  food  must  be  given  daily  with  the  fol- 
lowing : 

Rations  of  Successful  Breeders 

Wilcox  Standard  Mash — 50  Ibs.  heavy  wheat  bran,  20  Ibs.  corn 
meal,  14  Ibs.  ground  barley,  5  Ibs.  oil  cake  or  cotton-seed  meal, 
10  Ibs.  beef  scrap,  1  Ib.  fine  charcoal. 

Johnson  Formula — 80  Ibs.  wheat  bran,  15  Ibs.  alfalfa  meal,  15 
Ibs.  cracked  raw  bone,  1  pint  of  home-made  condiment. 

Bickford  Dry  Mash — One  part  corn  meal,  1  part  middlings,  2 
parts  heavy  wheat  bran,  1-10  part  meat  or  blood  meal,  1-10  cot- 
ton-seed meal,  a  good  handful  of  salt  to  one  hundred  pounds. 

Goodacre  Standard  Mash — Ten  Ibs.  wheat  bran,  2  Ibs.  corn 
meal,  2  Ibs.  fine  meat  meal,  1  Ib.  linseed  meal. 

Walton's  Dry  Mash — 12  parts  wheat  bran,  4  parts  corn  meal, 
2  parts  beef  scrap,  2  parts  alfalfa  meal,  2  parts  granulated  milk,  y2 
part  charcoal. 

Cowles  Dry  Mash — One  part  each  of  corn,  wheat  and  barley 
ground  up  together.  To  80  Ibs.  of  the  above  add  5  Ibs.  of  blood 
meal,  5  Ibs.  of  bone  meal,  10  Ibs.  of  meat  meal  and  a  little  charcoal. 

For  One  Dozen  Hens 

Rations  for  one  dozen  breeding  hens,  American  class,  in  con- 
finement, for  three  days'  rotation. 

Monday  morning — One  pint  and  a  half  grain,  wheat,  cracked 
corn  and  hulled  oats,  equal  parts  mixed  and  scattered  in  straw  or 
litter  in  scratching  pen.  Noon  :  Cut  clover  or  lawn  clippings.  Even- 
ing :  Mash,  1  pt.  heavy  bran ;  1  qt.  ground  oats ;  1  pt.  corn  meal ;  1-3 


38 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


of  the  whole  cut  clover  or  alfalfa  meal ;  1  tablespoonful  each  of  salt 
and  pulverized  charcoal ;  Y?  pt.  beef  scraps. 

Tuesday  morning — \l/2  pts.  mixed  grain,  wheat  and  rolled  barley. 
Noon :  green  feed,  pumpkins  or  clover ;  1  pt.  green  cut  bone.  Even- 
ing: Mash,  1  pt,  cooked  vegetables  and  table  scraps,  1  qt.  bran,  1  pt. 
cornmeal,  a  little  salt  and  pepper. 

Wednesday  morning — \y2  pt.  mixed  grain;  wheat,  hulled  oats, 
kaffir  corn.  Noon:  Cabbage  or  beets.  Evening:  Mash,  1  pt.  peas 
or  beans  soaked  over  night,  boiled  with  a  little  soda  until  soft ;  l/2 
pt.  dried  blood,  or  beefscraps,  1-3  cut  clover.  If  you  cannot  get 
beans  cheaply,  use  potatoes  or  other  vegetables. 

Follow  the  same  system  the  remaining  three  days. 

Sunday,  instead  of  the  mash,  scald  three  pints  of  rolled  barley 
in  the  morning,  cover  and  leave  to  steam.  Feed  in  the  evening  in- 
stead of  the  mash ;  this  makes  a  pleasant  change  and  saves  work  for 
the  Sabbath. 

The  reason  for  feeding  the  mash  at  night  is  to  keep  the  hens 
busy  scratching  all  day  and  so  send  them  to  roost  with  their  crops 
full.  There  is  danger  of  the  American  and  Asiatic  fowls  becoming 
too  fat  and  lazy  without  exercise  if  given  the  mash  in  the  morning. 

Fattening  Fowls 

Fowls  to  be  fattened  should  be  confined  in  small  yards  or  in 
coops  or  crates,  especially  adapted  for  feeding.  The  object  in  keep- 
ing them  in  confinement  is  to  prevent  the  forming  of  muscle  and 
sinew,  which  would  occur  if  allowed  to  run  at  liberty-. 

The  crate  used  for  fattening  fowls  can  be  four  or  six  feet  long. 
Mine  were  composed  of  lath  six  feet  long;  the  frame  of  the  crate 


JDL 


Three-Compartment  Fattening  Crate 

is  6  feet  long,  18  inches  wide  and  18  inches  high,  divided  into  six 
little  stalls  or  compartments.  The  frame  is  covered  with  lath, 
placed  lengthwise  on  the  bottom,  back  and  top  the  width  of  one 
lath  apart.  The  first  lath  on  the  bottom  should  be  two  inches  from 
the  back  to  allow  the  droppings  to  fall  through,  otherwise  they 
would  lodge  on  the  lath  at  the  back.  The  lath  are  placed  up  and 


THE  FEEDING  PROBLEM  39 

down  in  the  front,  the  spaces  between  them  being  two  inches  wide 
to  enable  the  chickens  to  feed  from  the  trough.  A  k'V"  shaped 
trough  is  made  to  fit  into  two  notches  in  cleats  in  front  of  each 
crate.  The  crate  stands  15  inches  from  the  ground;  the  droppings 
are  received  on  sand  or  other  absorbent  material  and  removed  daily. 
The  coop  is  large  enough  to  hold  12  or  18  young  chicks  (2  or  3  in  a 
stall)  or  six  full  grown  fowls.  Fowls  are  fed  three  times  a  day  all 
they  will  eat  in  15  minutes. 

See  cut  of  fattening  crate. 

Formulas  for  fattening : 

(1)  Equal  parts  of  bran,»-cornmeal  and -oat  meal  (rolled  break- 
fast oats)   mixed  with  skim  milk,  fed  three  times  a  day. 

(2)  Buckwheat  flour,  pulverized  oats,  cornmeal  in  equal  parts, 
mixed  thin  with  buttermilk. 

(3)  Equal  parts  barley  meal  and  oat  meal  and  a  half  part  of 
cornmeal,  mixed  with  buttermilk  or  skim  milk. 

(4)  A  favorite  French  combination  is  two  parts  barley  meal, 
one  part  cornmeal,  one  part  buckwheat  flour. 

A  little  salt  and  coarse  sand  should  be  added  to  their  food.  Three 
weeks  is  the  length  of  time  to  continue  the  feeding.  Chickens  do 
not  seem  to  be  able  to  stand  the  confinement  for  a  greater  length 
of  time.  The  last  week  of  the  fattening  process,  five  per  cent  of 
cotton  seed  meal  and  a  little  tallow  may  be  added  to  any  of  the 
above  formulas. 

Feeding  Beans 

Our  readers  know  our  "Rule  of  three" — or  the  three  essentials 
of  egg  production — Comfort,  Exercise  and  Proper  Food,  and  how 
very  necessary  each  of  this  trio  is  for  filling  the  egg  basket. 

The  successful  poultry  breeders,  those  that  are  really  making 
money  in  the  poultry  or  egg  business,  all  and  each  follow  our  Rule 
of  three.  Some  put  more  emphasis  on  one  of  the  three  conditions, 
and  some  on  the  other,  but  I  find  the  man  that  uses  all  three  essen- 
tials about  evenly  balanced  is  the  successful  man. 

Just  at  present  there  are  several  of  our  readers  who  are  seek- 
ing for  advice  on  the  problem  of  the  proper  food  and  have  appealed 
to  me  for  information  about  the  use  of  beans  and  some  other  foods 
which  are  available  or  cheap  in  their  locality.  I  would  like  to 
help  them  discuss  this  subject  together  with  the  different  breeds 
they  are  feeding. 

We  all  know  that  food  is  first  necessary  to  sustain  life,  to  enable 
the  young  fowls  to  grow  and  make  their  feathers,  while  it  also 
enables  the  mature  fowls  to  make  and  produce  eggs.  We  have 
learnt  that  the  body  of  the  hen  and  the  egg  also  is  composed  of 
water,  mineral  matter,  nitrogenous  matter  and  fat,  and  that  to  sus- 
tain life  and  growth  and  to  produce  eggs,  the  hen  must  be  supplied 
with  these  elements.  It  is  exceedingly  interesting  to  learn  the 
right  proportion  of  these  different  elements  that  have  to  be  supplied 
to  the  hen,  all  of  which  may  be  found  in  the  analysis  of  the  different 
foods  given  in  the  valuable  bulletin  "Poultry  Feeding  and  Proprie- 


40  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

tary  Foods/'  by  Professor  Jaffa  of  the  University  of  California. 
The  third  edition  of  this  bulletin  is  now  in  the  press. 

Professor  Rice  of  Cornell,  in  one  of  his  lectures,  says,  "Feeding 
poultry  is  a  science  and  an  art."  The  science  is  in  the  knowing 
why,  and  the  art  is  in  the  knowing  how  to  do  it.  Our  Professor 
Jaffa  divides  the  food  (this  is  the  science  part)  into  three  classes : 
The  protein,  carbo-hydrates  and  fat.  He  explains  that  the  word 
protein  comes  from  a  Greek  word  which  means  the  chief  thing — 
or  the  first  thing — and  the  protein  is  the  most  important  part  of.  the 
food,  for  by  it  is  made  or  produced  the  bone,  muscle,  blood,  nerves, 
tendons,  etc.  The  protein  or  nitrogenous  matter  of  the  hen's  body 
and  of  the  egg  is  formed  by  the  nitrogenous  matter  (the  protein) 
that  is  fed  to  the  hen  or  that  she  finds  in  hunting  on  the  range  for 
her  food,  so  any  one  can  see  how  important  this  element  is  in  the 
food. 

The  carbonaceous  part  of  the  food,  which  includes  the  fat  and 
carbo-hydrates  (sugar  and  starch),  is  mainly  used  as  a  fuel  supply 
to  the  body  and  is  the  substance  which  is  consumed  in  the  pro- 
duction of  heat  and  energy.  We  know  or  have  learnt  that  an 
active  fowl,  such  as  a  Leghorn  that  is  always  on  the  move,  scratch- 
ing, running,  flying,  uses  up  more  of  the  fat-producing  food  than  a 
quieter,  tamer,  heavier  fowl,  such  as  the  Plymouth  Rock  or  Wyan- 
dotte  or  one  of  the  Asiatics. 

The  scientists  have  analyzed  the  food  as  well  as  the  hen  and 
have  decided  that  a  hen  requires  as  a  balanced  ration  for  egg  pro- 
duction one  pound  of  protein  to  four  pounds  of  carbo-hydrates,  and 
we  believe  this  and  act  on  it  by  giving  the  hens  animal  food,  green 
food  and  grain.  We  also  want  to  get  the  food  as  cheaply  as  possi- 
ble to  save  our  pocketbooks,  and  yet  give  the  hens  food  that  will 
bring  the  best  results,  this  is  usually  eggs  when  eggs  are  dearest. 

The  protein  is  the  most  expensive  part  of  the  food,  consequently 
when  we  find  a  food  that  is  inexpensive  but  contains  a  large  amount 
of  protein,  we  are  glad  to  buy  it,  and  then  we  must  find  out  how  to 
mix  it  or  with  what  other  food  in  order  to  get  the  right  balance 
of  one  part  of  protein  to  4  or  4.5  of  carbo-hydrates.  A  ration  means 
the  food  for  a  whole  day. 

I  am  always  glad  to  talk  over  the  different  foods  and  to  help 
beginners  decide  what  is  the  best  and  cheapest  food  for  them  to 
use  in  their  locality.  Several  have  lately  asked  about  BEANS, 
how  to  feed  them  to  the  best  advantage.  Some  years  ago  I  had  an 
opportunity  of  buying  a  large  quantity  of  navy  beans  that  had 
been  held  as  seed  beans  but  several  sacks  of  them  had  become 
weevily.  I  studied  Professor  Jaffa's  bulletin  and  decided  that  it 
would  be  a  good  plan  to  buy  them,  thinking  that  as  they  were  small, 
the  hens  would  eat  them,  but  my  hens  did  not  take  to  them  at 
first,  so  I  sent  the  beans  to  the  mill  and  had  them  coarsely  ground, 
and  I  then  soaked  them  over  night  with  a  little  bicarbonate  of  soda 
in  the  water,  and  the  next  morning  when  the  fire  was  lighted  for 
breakfast,  I  put  on  the  beans  and  let  them  cook  at  the  back  of  the 
stove,  taking  them  off  at  noon  and  mixing  in  bran  and  cornmeal, 


THE  FEEDING  PROBLEM  41 

also  a  little  alfalfa  meal,  and  seasoning  with  salt  and  pepper  as  for 
the  table.  The  hens  like  this  mash  made  of  bean  soup,  and  never 
hens  laid  better  than  these.  It  was  certainly  a  famous  egg  food. 
Recently  I  received  letters  from  several  of  our  readers  asking 
about  feeding  beans,  and  I  replied,  giving  Professor  Jaffa's  analysis, 
but  I  afterwards  received  a  letter  asking  me  for  the  analysis  and 
the  value  of  "broad  Windsor  beans,"  and  as  there  was  no  analysis 
of  them  in  the  bulletin,  I  sent  some  of  them  to  the  Agricultural 
College  to  have  them  analyzed.  Professor  Jaffa  not  only  analyzed 
them,  but  also  analyzed  some  "horse  beans,"  as  I  said  that  Windsor 
beans  were  sometimes  called  horse  beans  and  were  largely  fed  to 
horses  in  some  places.  The  horse  beans  that  he  bought  were 
larger  than  the  Windsor  beans  that  I  sent  him  and  he  found  both 
of  them  so  exceedingly  rich  in  protein,  that  to  be  certain  there  was 
no  mistake,  he  had  the  analysis  duplicated,  done  over  twice. 

Analysis  of  Horse  Beans 

Per  cents 

Water 14.05 

Ash     * 2.10 

Protein    25.10 

Fat   1.60 

Fiber 6.63 

Starch,  etc 50.52 

Total     100.00 

Analysis  of  Windsor  Beans 

Per  cents 

Water    10.98 

Ash - 3.02 

Protein    18.80 

Fat   1.58 

Fiber    6.65 

Starch,  etc 58.97 


Total 100.00 

Analysis  of  Navy  Beans 

Per  cents 

Water 12.60 

Ash    3.50 

Protein    22.50 

Fat   1.80 

Fiber   4.40 

Starch,  etc 55.20 


Total    100.00 

It  will  be  seen  by  these  analyses  how  rich  in  protein  are  the 
beans,  and  therefore  what  a  valuable  food  for  fowls.  Realizing  the 
value  of  this,  in  order  to  help  other  of  our  readers,  I  wrote  to 
A.  A.  W.  for  further  information  about  the  beans  he  had  sent  me, 
and  received  the  following  reply: 

"The  beans  are  commonly  known  in  England  (where  they  are 
very  popular)  as  'broad  Windsor  beans/  but  to  the  best  of  my 


42  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

remembrance  these  are  a  smaller  species.  I  raised  these  here  on 
rich  soil  apparently  high  in  nitrogen,  judging  by  the  rank  top 
growth  of  various  crops  planted  therein ;  the  vines  averaged  a  height 
of  over  seven  feet,  which  is  more  than  double  that  claimed  for  them 
by  the  seedsmen,  who  do  not  usually  underestimate  the  vigor  and 
prolificacy  of  their  well  advertised  goods.  I  have  a  copy  of  your 
poultry  book  and  believe  I  have  derived  much  profit  from  it,  as  I 
am  raising  broilers  and  feeding  them  entirely  according  to  your  di- 
rections* ;  some  of  them  weigh  close  on  to  two  pounds  each,  and 
none  of  them  are  over  six  weeks  and  four  days  old,  raised  in  brooder 
coops  without  hens  or  artificial  heat,  but  with  the  best  possible 
care  and  attention  to  details,  and  with  less  loss  than  I  expected,  as 
this  is  my  first  experience  of  this  way  of  raising  them.  May  I 
trouble  you  to  inform  me  of  the  best  method  of  feeding  the  beans 
to  chicks  of  various  ages,  as  I  have  others  at  different  stages.  I 
have  fed  them  occasionally  to  month  old  chicks  in  small  quantities 
by  soaking  until  the  skins  will  slip,  then  chopping  up  fine  with 
bran  to  make  a  crumbly  mash.  I  would  much  like  to  know  if  this 
is  a  good  combination  or  otherwise,  and  how  best  and  when  to  feed, 
and  the  proportion  of  beans,  and  whether  chopped  up  dry,  soaked 
or  cooked. 

"My  idea  in  discarding  the  skins  is  that  being  very  tough  and 
leathery,  they  might  possibly  be  indigestible." 

In  reply  to  this,  the  skins  are  very  tough,  that  is,  the  skins 
of  both  horse  beans  and  Windsor  beans,  and  it  was  a  wise  precau- 
tion to  take  them  off  for  the  little  chicks,  but  that  would  scarcely 
be  possible  or  profitable  if  you  are  feeding  much  to  mature  hens,  as 
it  would  take  too  much  time  and  labor. 

In  feeding  either  old  or  young  you  can  make  one-fifth  of  the 
food  of  the  beans  if  you  have  plenty  of  them,  but  I  would  advise 
not  more  than  that.  Your  way  of  mixing  the  chopped-up  beans 
with  bran  and  milk  is  good,  but  I  would  suggest  adding  a  little 
cornmeal  about  one-fifth  of  the  amount  of  the  mash.  This  would 
be  a  better  balanced  mash.  As  you  have  had  such  good  results 
from  following  my  instructions  and  formula  for  feeding  broilers, 
I  think  you  had  better  continue  it  and  not  make  any  change,  or  if 
for  any  good  reason  you  are  obliged  to  make  a  change  in  the  food 
make  the  change  very  gradually,  that  is,  add  only  a  few  spoonsful 
of  the  new  food  each  day  until  at  the  end  of  about  two  weeks  you 
have  got  them  to  willingly  accept  the  new  food.  A  sudden  change 
of  almost  any  kind  will  stop  the  egg  out-put  partially  or  sometimes 
totally.  You  have  to  remember  there  is  a  difference  between  va- 
riety, which  is  excellent  for  fowls,  and  change,  which  almost  in- 
variably results  disastrously. 

The  best  way  to  feed  the  beans  (Windsor  or  horse  beans)  would 
be  to  have  them  ground  and  feed  them  in  the  dry  mash  for  all  the 
chickens,  large  or  small ;  for  the  very  little  fellows  nothing  could  be 
better  than  the  way  you  are  now  doing. 

When  I  received  this  letter  I  wrote  to  a  successful  poultryman 

*See   page    36. 


THE  FEEDING  PROBLEM  43 

and  egg  farmer,  who  has  been  feeding  beans  for  sometime  very 
successfully,  and  I  copy  his  letter  for  the  benefit  especially  of  those 
residing  in  bean-growing  districts,  where  beans  can  be  often  bought 
very  cheaply.  The  writer  can  be  thoroughly  relied  upon  as  to 
accuracy. 

"Your  cordial  letter  reached  us  today,  and  I  take  pleasure  in 
answering  your  questions  concerning  our  use  of  beans  for  hens. 

"The  variety  we  used  and  are  still  using  is  what  is  called  here 
the  black-eyed  bean.  I  think  it  is  called  'cow  peas'  in  some  parts  of 
the  country.  The  flavor  of  this  bean  is  more  like  that  of  the  pea 
than  of  the  bean.  For  a  long  time  we  fed  them  whole,  with  corn, 
wheat  and  whole  barley,  equal  parts  of  each.  The  hens  ate  them 
as  readily  as  they  did  the  other  grains,  except  wheat. 

"We  fed  it  also  in  the  mash,  with  ground  barley,  cornmeal  and 
beans,  about  equal  parts  of  each.  We  found  that  our  hens  increased 
their  egg  productoin  about  twenty  per  cent. 

These  beans  are  rich  in  protein,  about  22%,  and  are  about  85% 
digestible,  so  you  will  see  that  fed  with  wheat,  corn  and  barley 
they  are  a  valuable  addition  to  the  dietary  of  hens.  If  we  could 
get  these  beans,  we  should  continue  their  use,  but  we  are  unable 
to  get  any  more  of  them.  If  you  know  where  they  can  be  had  for  a 
reasonable  price,  we  should  be  pleased  to  have  you  inform  us. 
I  have  no  doubt  that  hens  could  be  induced  to  eat  lima  beans,  at 
least  in  the  mash,  as  you  know  lima  beans  are  rich  in  protein,  but 
possibly  may  not  be  as  digestible  as  the  black-eye.  I  hope  this 
information  may  be  of  use  to  you." 

In  this  article  we  give  the  scientific  side,  the  analysis  of  three 
kind  of  beans,  and  also  the  practical  use  of  them  by  three  different 
poultry  breeders.  This  will  answer  several  other  inquiries  on  the 
subject,  and  we  hope  prove  'useful  to  many  of  our  readers. 


Buff  Orpington 


SPROUTING  OATS 
By  W.  S.  Willis 

The  following  method  of  sprouting  oats  has  been  kindly  sent 
to  the  author  by  Mr.  W.  S.  Willis,  of  the  celebrated  Arlington  Egg 
Ranch.  Mr.  Willis  has  found  the  sprouted  oats  a  splendid  addition 
to  the  hen's  ration,  lending  variety  to  the  daily  bill  of  fare  and  in- 
creasing the  egg  output. 

Three  quarts  of  oats  will,  make  a  fine  morning  meal  for  100  hens 
if  properly  sprouted. 

Place  the  grain  in  a  pail  and  let  it  soak  for  twenty-four  hours  ; 
then  transfer  it  to  a  box  one  foot  square  and  six  inches  deep,  with 
a  few  small  drainage  holes  in  the  bottom. 

Sprinkle  with  water  daily  and  allow  the  grain  to  remain  in  the 
box  until  the  sprouts  are  from  two  to  three  inches  in  length,  at 
which  time  it  will  be  ready  to  feed. 

As  it  takes  from  eight  to  ten  days  to  secure  the  proper  growth, 
a  number  of  boxes  or  compartments  should  be  provided  for  the 
grain,  keeping  each  day's  allowance  separate,  and  a  new  lot  should 
be  started  daily. 

For  larger  flocks  of  course  it  is  necessary  to  increase  the  size  of 
the  boxes — a  day's  feed  for  600  hens,  for  instance,  requiring  a 
sprouting  space  of  two  by  three  feet. 

In  all  cases  care  should  be  taken  not  to  have  the  grain  over  two 
inches  deep  when  placed  in  boxes,  in  order  to  guard  against  heating 
and  mildew. 

The  boxes  should  be  placed  in  a  level  position  and  kept  covered 
with  a  board  or  burlap,  in  order  to  keep  the  grain  in  a  moist  condi- 
tion. 

In  cold  weather  the  sprouting  operations  should  be  conducted  in 
comfortably  warm  quarters,  and  warm  water  may  sometimes  be 
used  to  advantage  in  sprinkling  the  grain. 

Redwood  is  better  than  pine  to  use  in  making  the  sprouting 
boxes,  being  less  liable  to  swell  and  crack  when  water  soaked. 

Should  it  be  impossible  to  get  oats  that  will  grow  well,  barley 
may  be  substituted,  but  it  may  be  found  necessary  to  stir  the 
barley  until  it  begins  to  sprout,  to  prevent  fermentation. 


Black  Orpington  Hen 


BREEDING,   LINE-BREEDING,   IN-BREEDING,   ETC. 


The  subject  of  breeding  for  best  results  in  the  poultry  yard  is 
exceedingly  interesting,  and  is  being  developed  more  and  more 
every  year,  not  only  by  poultry  breeders,  but  I  believe,  by  some  of 
the  government  experiment  stations. 

There  is  "in-breeding,"  "line-breeding,"  "out-breeding,"  "cross- 
breeding," and  no  breeding  at  all. 

Many  people  are  afraid  of  in-breeding.  By  this  is  usually 
meant  breeding  brother  and  sister  together  for  generations,  without 
the  infusion  of  new  blood  ."  This  kind  of  in-breeding  is  very  apt 
to  result  disastrously,  because  in  such  a  flock  the  best,  biggest 
and  most  vigorous  are  sent  to  the  market,  and  the  inferior  ones  are 
kept  at  home  for  breeders,  unless  a  neighbor  steps  in  and  lends  a 
cockerel  to  solve  the  difficulty. 

For  fear  of  the  flock  deteriorating,  many  people  think  it  abso- 
lutely necessary  to  have  new  blood  in  their  flock  every  year,  and 
here  is  where  the  danger  comes  in  for  those  who  are  raising  thor- 
ough-breds.  If  you  buy  pure-bred  male  of  the  same  breed  to 
mate  with  your  pure-bred  female  from  another  strain  or  family, 
you  may  get  one  that  will  improve  your  flock,  or  one  which  will 
bring  you  disqualified  birds.  This  getting  new  blood  of  the  same 
family  is  called  "out-breeding."  J.  H.  Robinson  says:  "Most  of 
the  evils  assigned  to  in-breeding  are  not  due  to  in-breeding,  but  to 
careless  selection.  There  is  no  evidence  that  in-breeding  necessar- 
ily initiates  degeneracy.  There  is  abundant  evidence  that  with 
proper  selection  for  stamina  to  avoid  common  defects,  very  close 
in-breeding  can  be  followed  for  a  long  time  without  injuring  the 
stock.  There  is  also  abundant  evidence  that  breeding  unrelated 
fowls  without  careful  attention  to  vigor,  and  avoidance  of  common 
defects  is  at  once  attended  with  precisely  the  same  results  as 
breeding  fowls  of  near  kin  under  the  same  conditions." 

In  making  the  new  breeds,  in-breeding  is  necessary  to  fix  the 
color,  shape,  etc.  If  it  is  necessary  to  fix  superiority  in  color,  it 
is  necessary  to  fix  it  in  shape.  If  it  is  necessary  to  fix  it  in  shape, 
it  is  necessary  to  fix  superior  laying  capacity,  or  rapid  growth  and 
vigor.  In-breeding  is  necessary  because  there  cannot  be  intelligent 
breeding  without  in-breeding. 

"Line-breeding,"  or  breeding  in  line,  is  keeping  to  the  same 
family,  the  same  blood.  It  is  very  careful  in-breeding.  When  we 
line  breed  we  simply  limit  the  number  of  ancestors  in  the  fowl's 
pedigree.  By  so  doing  we  intensify  the  qualities  in  the  fowl,  for 
it  has  been  established  beyond  doubt  that  the  mating  of  nearly 
related  individuals  has  a  tendency  to  intensify  the  traits  or  char- 
acteristics which  they  possess  in  common.  As  an  example,  I  had 
a  White  Plymouth  Rock  hen  (Snow  Queen),  a  95^  point  bird. 
She  laid  225  eggs  in  9  months.  I  mated  her,  when  I  discovered  her 
wonderful  qualities,  to  my  first  prize  male.  Four  of  her  daughters 
from  that  mating  were  prize-winners.  The  following  year  I  mated 
her  to  her  best  son,  and  the  third  year  to  her  son  who  was  also 


46  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

her  grandson.  By  this  last  mating,  the  offspring  were  15-16  of  her 
blood.  I  sold  a  few  settings  of  this  mating,  one  to  a  gentleman  in 
Sacramento.  He  wrote  me  afterwards  that  he  won  first  cock,  first 
hen  and  first  pen  at  the  Poultry  Show,  with  seven  of  her  offspring; 
but,  he  added,  "the  great  recommendation  to  your  fowls  is  their 
wonderful  vigor  and  healthfulness.  All  my  other  fowls  have  had 
roup  and  chicken-pox;  in  fact,  I  have  lost  more  than  half,  and 
while  yours  were  brought  up  with  them,  they  seem  absolutely  im- 
mune to  all  sickness." 

Another  setting  of  eggs  I  sold  to  a  party  south  of  town.  I 
heard  later  than  one  of  the  hens  hatched  from  that  setting  laid  105 
eggs  in  110  consecutive  days.  By  careful  in-breeding  it  is  possible 
to  intensify  the  good  qualities  of  great  egg-laying  and  great  vigor. 
A  hen  to  be  a  great  layer  must  have  vigor. 

To  illustrate  what  is  meant  by  line-breeding,  I  would  take  a 
good  pair  or  trio  of  the  best  birds  procurable;  raise  the  young, 
carefully  feeding  for  strength  and  vigor.  The  vigor  of  a  flock  is 
sustained  not  by  introducing  new  blood,  but  by  selecting  breeding 
birds  for  vigor.  Vigorous  birds  beget  vigorous  offspring;  weak 
birds  weak  offspring,  whether  kin  or  not.  The  second  year  I  would 
mate  the  father  with  two  of  his  best  daughters  and  the  best  son 
back  to  the  mother  hen,  and  use  these  two  families  as  two  different 
strains  for  new  blood,  each  year  selecting  the  best  from  either 
family.  By  the  best,  I  do  not  mean  only  the  handsomest ;  I  mean 
among  the  cockerels  the  most  vigorous,  active  and  up-to-standard 
birds,  and  among  the  pullets  the  best  layers  as  well  as  the  earliest 
maturing,  largest  and  handsomest.  Let  it  be  understood  that  to 
breed  from  birds  because  they  are  related  without  making  selections 
of  points  desired,  is  as  wrong  as  to  refuse  to  mate  related  fowls. 
By  breeding  from  only  vigorous  stock,  and  observing  the  rule  not 
to  mate  fowls  having  the  same  bad  defects,  mating  together  only 
fowls  which  in  individual  merit  and  in  pedigree  (whether  akin  or 
no  kin)  are  what  they  should  be  for  the  purpose  of  the  mating, 
you  may  be  sure  of  avoiding  mistakes. 

"I  am  afraid  of  in-breeding,"  said  a  lady  to  me  recently.  "The 
book  says  change  cockerels  with  your  neighbor."  I  do  not  know 
from  what  book  she  was  quoting,  but  I  went  to  see  her  fowls.  She 
had  really  fine  standard  bred  fowls  to  commence  with,  but  she  had 
ruined  the  flock  by  trading  cockerels.  A  friend  of  mine  intending 
to  purchase  them  asked  me  to  look  at  them,  but  I  could  not  recom- 
mend them,  as  I  knew  the  offspring  would  not  be  desirable. 

Many  persons  wishing  to  purchase  fowls  from  me  (when  I  was 
in  the  business)  would  say,  "Can  you  sell  me  two  or  four  hens  and 
a  cockerel  not  related?"  I  replied  that  I  could  and  would  if  they 
wished,  as  I  had  fifteen  separate  pens  and  marked  all  my  young 
fowls,  but  if  they  asked  me  to  mate  for  best  results,  I  would  give 
them  hens  from  my  best  layers,  mated  to  a  cockerel  that  was  partly 
related  to  them,  for  I  knew  then  the  offspring  would  be  of  as 
good  quality  as  the  parents.  To  know  this  takes  some  years  of 
"close  observation  and  close  selection,"  which  is  the  rule  for  line- 
breeding. 


BREEDING,    LINE    AND    IN-BREEDING  47 

When  I  wanted  new  blood  of  late  years,  I  would  get  a  setting 
of  eggs  from  the  best  breeder  I  knew.  Select  the  two  pullets  from 
this  brood,  mate  them  with  one  of  my  own  males,  and  then  await 
results.  Some  years  they  would  be  quite  satisfactory;  if  other- 
wise, they  were  consigned  to  the  table  and  proved  delicious  eating. 
When  the  results  were  good,  I  had  fine  young  ones  and  new  blood 
which  I  knew  would  mate  with  mine  and  not  deteriorate  my  fowls 
in  regard  to  looks  and  standard  points,  but  I  could  not  tell  for 
two  years  how  the  laying  qualities  of  the  offspring  might  be  af- 
fected. Here  is  a  place  where  "close  observation"  comes  in.  The 
pullets  were  trap-nested  for  a  season,  and  then  if  they  came  up 
to  my  ideal  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  I  had  made  another 
success.  This  getting  in  new  blood  of  the  same  breed  is  called 
"out-breeding." 

I  know  a  farmer's  wife  who  had  good  pure-bred  Plymouth 
Rocks,  prize  winners.  She  sent  away  and  bought  a  first  prize  win- 
ner— a  beautiful  cockerel.  She  thought  she  would  have  prize  win- 
ners for  the  next  show,  when  to  her  grief  she  found  that  all  the 
progeny  of  that  cockerel  were  disqualified  birds.  The  cockerel  did 
not  "nick"  with  the  hens,  though  they  were  of  the  same  breed. 
This  out-breeding  was  a  failure.  If  she  thought  fresh  blood  neces- 
sary, she  should  have  purchased  a  cockerel  from  the  same  breeder 
of  whom  she  purchased  her  original  flock,  and  she  should  have  had 
one  that  had  some  of  the  same  blood  as  the  pullets,  or  if  she  could 
not  do  that,  she  should  have  bought  a  good  pullet  and  mated  her 
to  the  best  male,  and  if  the  cockerel  from  that  mating  proved  good, 
she  could  have  used  one  the  following  year.  "Out-breeding"  as  she 
did,  is  a  sort  of  lottery,  and  one  cannot  be  certain  of  results. 

Crossing,  cross-breeding  or  out-crossing,  all  of  which  mean  the 
same  thing,  is  introducing  blood  from  a  distinctly  different  breed. 
The  first  cross  will  usually  give  better  layers,  and  occasionally  will 
produce  good  birds,  but  the  progeny  of  these  will  be  mongrels  un- 
less a  pure-bred  male  is  introduced  each  year.  The  new  breeds, 
such  as  the  Orpington,  etc.,  are  made  by  cross-breeding  and  then  by 
close  in-breeding.  There  is,  however,  one  breed  in  America  which 
has  been  made  entirely  by  out-crossing;  that  is  the  Rhode  Island 
Reds.  This  breed  has  been  made  by  bringing  vigorous  blood  on 
the  male  side  "Red  cocks"  from  China,  Chittagong,  Malay,  etc., 
and  mating  them  with  the  farm  fowls  of  Rhode  Island.  This  out- 
crossing  has  produced  a  breed  of  great  vigor  and  prolificacy. 
Crossing  as  a  rule,  is  not  advisable,  because  one  can  never  be 
certain  which  parent  the  young  will  resemble;  they  will  be  large 
or  small,  some  of  one  color,  some  of  another,  irregular  in  maturing 
and  irregular  in  shape  for  market. 

However,  I  knew  a  farmer's  daughter  in  New  York  who  wished 
to  improve  her  flock  of  mongrels  of  all  shapes  and  colors.  She 
bought  a  "line-bred"  Plymouth  Rock  cockerel,  and  the  following 
summer  she  found  that  nearly  all  the  young  stock  had  Plymouth 
Rock  markings,  even  the  offspring  of  the  Cochin  hens  had  feathers 
to  their  toes.  The  next  year  she  bought  again  from  the  same 


48  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

breeder  another  vigorous  Plymouth  Rock,  and  by  the  end  of  that 
season  she  had,  apparently,  a  flock  of  line  Plymouth  Rocks.  I  say 
apparently,  because  if  she  had  mated  them  together,  she  would  have 
had  mongrels  the  following  season,  but  as  it  was  she  worked  the 
mongrel  old  stock  olt  and  had  hue  looking  Plymouth  Rocks  that 
proved  excellent  layers.  A  line-bred  cockerel  has  greater  prepo- 
tency than  one  indefinitely  bred,  'lhat  is,  he  will  reproduce  him- 
self or  leave  his  marks  strongly  upon  his  progeny.  This  was  the 
case  with  my  New  ^ork  friend's  birds.  Hers  were  "cross-bred," 
or  what  farmers  would  call  "grade  '  Plymouth  Rocks. 

The  male  bird,  it  he  comes  from  a  line-bred  family,  will  be 
more  prepotent  than  the  female.  He  will  impress  his  qualities 
or  characteristics,  good  or  bad,  on  his  progeny  more  than  a  male 
that  is  not  line-bred,  and  the  male  is  considered  half  the  pen. 
His  part  is  the  germ,  the  seed,  from  which  will  grow  the  chick. 
Jbor  this  reason,  choose  the  good,  strong,  vigorous  cockerel,  active 
and  stirring,  to  head  your  pen  and  take  a  pure-bred  instead  of  a 
mongrel,  because  in  this  way  you  will  build  up  a  rlock  of  fine  birds. 

".Line-breeding"  is  keeping  in  the  same  family  for  years,  each 
year  choosing  the  most  vigorous  of  both  males  and  females  to  con- 
tinue the  succession.  Line-breeding  is  very  careful  and  closely 
selected  in-breeding. 

"Out-breeding"  is  introducing  new  blood,  but  of  the  same  breed. 

"Cross-breeding"  or  "out-crossing"  is  introducing  distinctly  new 
blood  of  an  entirely  different  breed. 

There  is  some  diversion  of  opinion  as  to  the  best  ages  of  parent 
stock  to  produce  the  strongest  chicks,  but  is  is  usually  accepted 
that  fowls  are  generally  at  their  best  at  twenty  to  twenty-four 
months  of  age.  if  they  are  not  then  in  good  condition,  the  breeder 
should  look  for  something  wrong  in  his  method  of  handling  stock. 
A  hen  coming  two  years  old  will,  if  properly  handled-between  sea- 
sons, lay  as  well  the  second  year  as  the  first,  and  lay  larger  eggs 
which  will  hatch  stronger  and  better  chicks.  A  cock  of  the  same 
age  should  be  in  his  prime.  The  mating  of  males  and  females  of 
this  age  will,  other  things  being  equal,  give  better  results  than 
any  other  age.  However,  well  grown  young  fowls  would  make 
better  breeders  than  two-year-olds  not  in  good  condition.  Many 
breeders  advise  mating  a  cock  bird  to  pullets,  and  a  cockerel  to 
hens.  Generally  these  matings  give  better  results  than  the  matings 
of  cockerels  and  pullets,  but  not  as  good  as  matings  of  two-year- 
olds. 

The  principal  quality  looked  for  in  mating  birds  is  vigor, 
whether  you  are  mating  for  market  or  for  egg  laying  or  for  fancy 
feathering. 

Breeding  Chart 

A  clear  conception  of  the  methods  followed  in  line  breeding 
may  be  had  by  reference  to  the  accompanying  chart  which  has 
been  drawn  from  one  published  several  years  ago  by  I.  K.  Felch, 
the  veteran  Light  Brahma  breeder.  In  this  chart  the  solid  circles 
and  segments  represent  the  male  blood  elements,  and  the  solid  lines 


BREEDING,    LINE    AND    IN-BREEDING 


49 


that  a  male  has  been  chosen  from  the  group  from  which  they  start. 
The  white  circles  and  segments  represent  the  female  blood  ele- 
ments and  the  dotted  lines  that  the  females  have  been  chosen  from 
the  group  from  which  they  start.  The  shaded  circle  represents  a 
scheme  for  the  admission  of  new  blood.  Suppose  we  have  two 
extra  good  birds  which  when  mated  together  produce  high-class 
offspring.  Then  the  problem  is  how  to  perpetuate  the  quality  of 
the  parents  and  offspring  without  the  dangers  of  close  in-breeding 

Lir/E  BREED/KG  CHSIRT 

W/U.E LINE.  FEWLE  L/QIE;  J^J     / s* 

'\Z 


By  the  courtesy  of  the  Editor  of  "Poultry" 

or  of  destroying  the  results  of  several  years  of  work,  by  violent 
out-crossing.  By  following  line  breeding,  three  blood  lines  may 
be  developed,  one  of  which  shall  contain  a  preponderance  of  orig- 
inal male  blood,  one  a  preponderance  of  original  female  blood,  and 
the  third  equal  proportions  of  original  male  and  female  blood. 

In  the  chart  let  1  represent  the  original  male,  and  2  the  original 
female.  Then  by  crossing  1  and  2  the  result  is  group  3,  which  pos- 
sesses equal  parts  of  the  blood  of  1  and  2.  Selecting  the  best  pullet 
from  3  and  mating  to  her  sire  1,  group  4  is  produced,  which  con- 


50 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


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BREEDING,    LINE    AND    IN-BREEDING 


51 


tains  three-fourths  of  the  blood  of  the  original  sire  and  one-fourth 
of  the  blood  of  the  original  dam.  In  a  like  manner  tjie  best  cock- 
erel from  3  mated  to  his  dam  2  produces  group  5,  which  is  made 
up  of  three-fourths  of  the  blood  of  the  original  dam  and  one-fourth 
of  the  blood  of  the  original  sire.  Proceeding  in  a  similar  manner 
by  mating  the  original  parents  to  their  offspring  in  the  third  gener- 
ation, we  obtain  at  groups  6  and  7  offspring  which  contain  either 
seven-eighths  the  blood  of  the  original  sire  and  one-eighth  of  the 
blood  of  the  original  dam,  or  seven-eighths  the  blood  of  the  original 
dam  and  one-eighth  the  blood  of  the  original  sire,  as  the  case  may  be. 
Thus  the  blood  of  the  original  sire  has  been  practically  eliminated 


Rhode  Island  Red  Cockerel 


from  the  female  line,  and  the  blood  of  the  original  dam  from  the 
male  line.  If  the  original  parents  were. still  in  breeding  condition, 
the  blood  of  each  could  be  intensified  to  15-16  in  the  fifth  genera- 
tion. To  obtain  the  original  cross,  however,  at  any  generation  after 
the  second,  it  is  only  necessary  to  select  parents  from  corresponding 
groups  on  each  side  of  the  line,  as  for  instance,  a  cockerel  from 
group  6  mated  to  pullets  from  group  7  will  produce,  in  the  fifth 
generation  group  9,  which  contains  mathematically  one-half  the 
blood  of  the  original  pair.  Similar  results  can  be  obtained  by  se- 
lecting parents  from  4  and  5. 

The  fifth  and  sixth  generations,  as  shown  in  the  chart,  indicate 
only  a  few  of  the  possible  groups  that  may  be  obtained  from 
various  matings. 

The  danger  of  using  new  stock  not  akin  to  one's  own  is  far 
greater  than  the  danger  of  line-breeding  vigorous  birds  of  known 
pedigree,  as  is  proven  by  the  following  case  in  point :  A  breeder  of 
Reds  who  had  sold  a  fine  pen  two  years  previously  of  such  excel- 


52  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

lence  that  she  felt  safe  in  buying  back  a  cockerel  raised  from  them, 
resembling  in  every  way  the  sire  sold,  for  the  pen  had  been  care- 
fully line-bred  and  mated  for  best  results;  she  used  this  bird  with 
her  finest  hens  and  sold  eggs  from  them,  and  every  chick  of  this 
cockerel's  get  had  white  feathers  enough  to  disqualify  it.  After 
this  cockerel  moulted,  the  beautiful  red  of  his  plumage  was  sprink- 
led all  through  with  patches  of  white  feathers.  Close  inquiry  di- 
vulged the  fact  that  the  breeder  had  allowed  his  Reds  and  Whites 
to  run  together  until  a  few  weeks  before  mating  time,  trusting  to 
this  short  period  of  time  to  remove  the  bad  effects  of  commingling. 
Now,  scientific  men  maintain  that  the  danger  of  contamination  of 
the  female  is  far  greater  than  is  generally  believed.  Some  even 
assert  that  a  pullet's  first  mating  influences  her  whole  progeny,  no 
matter  how  carefully  she  may  be  mated  thereafter,  and  that  the 
taint  of  foreign  blood  can  never  be  eliminated  from  her  offspring. 
There  is  much  of  truth  in  this  theory,  for  the  blood  of  the  mother 
partakes  of  the  blood  of  the  sire  through  the  blood  of  the  unborn 
germ,  whether  egg  or  foetus,  circulating  through  her.  We  can 
never  be  too  careful  to  keep  our  hens  and  pullets  safely  yarded, 
and  we  should  beware  of  strange  males  as  of  the  plague  itself. 

The  accompanying  chart  for  the  toe-marking  of  the  chicks  ex- 
plains itself.  There  are  sixteen  different  markings  possible.  A 
small  punch  called  a  chick-marker  will  be  found  indispensable. 
The  toe  marking  must  be  done  while  the  chicks  are  a  day  or  two 
old,  as  later  on  the  web  will  bleed  and  the  others  may  learn  to  peck 
at  the  blood  and  get  into  cannibal  habits.  A  book  must  be  kept 
for  this  one  purpose,  to  keep  a  record  of  each  chick's  pedigree  by  not- 
ing its  particular  toe-mark,  as  soon  as  the  hatch  is  taken  off.  Then 
when  mating  time  comes  it  is  a  simple  matter  to  select  our  breed- 
ers and  mate  them  according  to  rule. 


TV  /^ 

^  /1Y 

P/IS  /1*§ 

k/^  ^ 

><l^  /^ 

/!*  /i^ 


53 
FERTILE  EGGS 

In  the  early  spring  we  receive  many  letters  of  inquiry  from 
beginners  as  to  how  they  shall  get  fertile  eggs  or  why  the  eggs 
are  not  fertile.  It  is  a  vital  consequence  to  understand  this  matter 
somewhat. 

To  secure  fertile  eggs  and  strong  chicks  that  will  grow  and 
make  good  breeders,  that  will  be  sturdy  and  vigorous  and  bring  a 
profit,  both  the  parents  shoujd  be  vigorous  and  healthy. 

To   grow   vigorous   chickens   they   must   be   well   born   and   to 


White  Plymouth  Rocks 

accomplish  this  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  have  the  breeding 
stock  in  the  very  best  of  health.  The  females  as  well  as  the  males 
should  have  entirely  completed  the  moult. 

The  birds  should  be  mature  both  physically  and  sexually.  This 
is  a  very  important  matter,  for  an  egg  may  be  fertile  and  yet  not 
exclude  the  chick  from  it ;  the  germ  may  not  be  vigorous  enough 
to  develop  into  a  chicken  capable  of  breaking  its  way  out  of  the 
shell.  More  than  mere  size  is  needed  in  the  male  bird;  maturity 
and  vigor  are  necessary.  The  male  should  be  of  large  and  vigorous 
frame,  well  filled  out,  gallant  to  the  females  and  ready  to  fight  any 
intruder.  He  should  have  a  full,  deep  voice  and  have  lost  the  air 
of  immaturity  which  the  young  birds  always  have.  He  should  be 
ten  months  old  or  over,  with  hackles  and  sickles  well  developed 
and  spurs  of  a  fair  size.  Such  a  male  will  fertilize  the  eggs  strongly 
and  produce  vigorous  and  sturdy  chicks;  the  eggs  will  not  only  be 
fertile,  but  will  be  hatchable. 


54  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

A  male  bird  which  is  immature  may  fertilize  many  of  the  eggs, 
but  it  will  be  found  that  there  are  weak  germs  and  many  of  these 
will  never  develop,  or  if  they  do,  the  chicks  produced  will  be  weak 
and  inferior.  Immature  males  are  largely  to  blame  for  poor  hatches 
and  chicks  dead  in  the  shell.  A  cockerel  is  usually  at  his  best  when 
he  is  a  year  old  and  from  that  time  until  he  is  three  or  four  years 
old  he  can  be  used  safely.  During  the  breeding  season  the  vigor  of 
the  male  bird  must  be  watched;  he  should  have  extra  food  with 
high  protein  content,  that  is,  extra  meat,  to  keep  him  vigorous.  If 
mated  to  eight  or  ten  vigorous  females  and  if  he  is  gallant,  they  will 
usually  eat  most  of  the  animal  food  away  from  him,  unless  it  is  fed 
in  the  dry  mash,  and  suddenly  you  may  discover  that  the  male  that 
is  heading  your  pen  has  lost  strength  and  vitality  with  a  corres- 
ponding loss  in  the  hatchability  of  the  eggs. 

Much  has  been  written  on  the  importance  of  having  fully  ma- 
tured and  well  developed  females,  but  the  best  females  cannot 
produce  hatchable  eggs  if  mated  to  an  immature  or  weakly  male. 

I  have  found  that  two  years  of  age  is  about  the  best  for  both 
sexes,  otherwise  have  a  year's  difference  in  the  ages  of  the  pair  of 
birds.  Mate  a  one-year-old  male  to  older  females,  say,  two,  three 
or  four  years  older,  or  a  older  male  to  females  of  one  year  of  age. 
Here  in  California  I  always  try  to  have  my  male  birds  hatched  in 
the  fall ;  this  was  to  make  them  at  their  best  in  the  breeding  season, 
fifteen  or  eighteen  months  later;  also,  I  thought  that  males  hatched 
in  the  fall  would  be  the  fathers  of  hens  that  would  lay  in  the  early 
winter,  and  I  wanted  fall  and  early  winter  eggs  on  account  of  the 
market  price.  I  also  found  that  my  fall  hatched  pullets  were  earlier 
layers  than  the  spring  hatched;  most  of  my  record  hens  were 
hatched  in  November. 

Another  point  in  securing  fertile  eggs  is  to  decide  upon  the 
number  of  hens  that  may  be  safety  mated  to  a  vigorous  male.  It 
has  been  found  that  the  American  breeds  do  best  if  one  male  is 
mated  to  from  eight  to  ten  females;  with  the  Asiatics  the  number 
is  one  male  to  from  six  to  eight  females;  while  the  Leghorns  or 
Mediterraneans  from  twelve  to  twenty  females,  can  be  mated  to  a 
vigorous  bird.  These  will  strongly  fertilize  the  eggs. 

In  my  own  yards  I  found  that  close  observation  was  necessary; 
sometimes  a  male  will  apparently  pay  no  attention  to  one  or  two 
females  in  his  yard,  and  if  after  mating  for  three  or  four  weeks  I 
find  the  eggs  from  one  of  the  females  is  not  fertile,  I  remove  her 
to  another  yard.  I  do  not  approve  of  changing  the  males  in  a  yard,  as 
some  have  advocated.  The  theory  may  be  plausible,  but  in  practice 
I  have  found  it  detrimental.  It  gives  a  feeling  of  unrest  in  the 
yards  and  retards  egg  production,  as  anything  disturbing  will,  and 
causes  a  loss  of  fertility.  I  find  it  best  to  mate  up  for  the  season 
and  then  leave  them  alone  without  change  of  any  kind,  unless  for 
some  special  cause. 

A  "line-bred"  male  is  more  prepotent  than  a  male  of  no  breed- 
ing, and  will  strongly  impress  his  female  offspring  with  the  char- 
acteristics of  the  females  in  his  line.  Be  very  sure  that  your  male 
is  vigorous. 


FERTILE   EGGS  55 

Feeding  for  fertility  is  another  necessity  in  getting  hatchable 
eggs.  Here  we  may  consult  Nature.  The  spring  is  the  time  that 
Nature  gives  the  fertile  eggs;  let  us  feed  as  much  as  possible  as 
she  does.  Let  us  be  sure  to  give  plenty  of  tender,  green,  succulent 
food,  as  well  as  animal  food  to  supply  the  place  of  the  grubs  and 
worms,  which  Nature  gives,  but  in  making  any  radical  change  in 
the  food,  make  the  change  gradually.  There  is  a  difference  between 
change  and  variety.  A  great  variety  will  give  fertility,  while  a 
radical  change  of  any  kind  will  cause  a  loss  of  eggs  as  well  as  loss 
of  fertility.  Among  the  green  foods  that  give  fertility,  the  fore- 
most is  alfalfa.  Give  the  fowls  all  the  alfalfa  or  clover  that  you 
can  induce  them  to  eat.  Give  all  the  ^rain  in  the  scratching  pen, 
so  they  will  have  to  work  and  exercise  for  every  grain.  Nothing 
helps  the  fertility  so  much  as  the  exercise  of  scratching  and  nothing 
costs  much  less.  One  prominent  poultry  breeder  told  me  that 
it  costs  him  exactly  one  cent  a  month  per  hen  to  keep  fresh  wheat 
straw  in  his  scratching  pen ;  the  hens  scratch  in  that  and  also  eat  a 
considerable  amount  of  the  straw. 

The  grain  most  conducive  to  fertility  is  oats.  I  always  use 
oatmeal  in  the  dry  mash  during  the  breeding  season,  also  sprouted 
oats.  These  are  given  besides  the  mixed  grain  in  the  scratching 
pen. 

The  animal  food  should  be  as  much  as  possible,  fresh  green  bone 
and  meat,  skim  milk  and  beef  scraps.  The  fresh  meat  is  the  best 
of  all,  but  it  must  be  fresh.  Those  living  where  rabbits  or  wild 
game  are  abundant  can  supply  this.  At  the  sea  coast,  fish  and  the 
little  crabs  or  clams  make  a  valuable  addition  to  the  animal  food. 

Of  course,  good,  sharp  grit,  crushed  oyster  shell  and  charcoal 
should  be  before  the  hen  all  the  time. 


TESTING  EGGS  FOR  INCUBATION 

Success  is  what  we  all  want  to  attain  in  what  ever  we  undertake, 
and  I  earnestly  hope  "that  my  practical  talks  on  poultry  may  help 
others  to  make  a  success  of  it. 

"Success  with  the  Japanese,"  wrote  George  Kennan,  in  one  of 
his  interesting  articles  during  the  war,  "is  not  a  matter  of  perhaps 
or  somehow  or  other,  nor  does  it  depend  upon  the  grace  of  a  merci- 
ful God.  It  is  carefully  'pre-arranged'  by  an  intelligent  forethought, 
a  perfect  system  and  an  attention  to  details  that  I  have  never  seen 
surpassed." 

Success  in  the  poultry  yard  can  be  attained  or  "pre-arranged"  in 
exactly  the  same  manner.  Failure  in  the  chicken  business  (as  in 
warfare)  is  due  to  lack  of  forethought,  lack  of  system,  and  care- 
lessness with  regard  to  details.  Forethought  is  the  studying  up  and 
thinking  how  to  do  a  thing,  thinking  out  beforehand  the  best  way 
of  doing  it  and  arranging  for  it. 

The  experiences  of  others  by  teaching  us  may  save  us  not  only 
dollars  and  cents,  but  chagrin  and  disappointment.  I  spend  a  good 
deal  of  my  time  in  visiting  the  ranches  of  some  of  my  correspond- 
ents, either  to  help  them  out  of  difficulties,  or  to  mate  up  their  pens 
for  them,  or  to  start  up  their  incubators,  or  to  overhaul  their  brood- 
ers or  plan  their  henneries,  and  in  this  way  I  become  acquainted 
with  the  needs  and  difficulties  of  a  number  of  amateurs  or  beginners 
in  the  poultry  business.  Some  of  the  troubles  of  others  may  teach 
us  what  "not  to  do." 

"I  wish  you  could  tell  me  what  is  the  matter,"  wrote  one.  "I 
had  good  luck  last  year,  but  only  half  the  fertile  eggs  hatched  last 
time." 

I  answered  by  spending  a  day  at  her  ranch.  "What  is  the  mat- 
ter with  your  hatches?"  said  I,  "and  on  what  day  did  they  come 
out?" 

"The  first  hatch  this  season  came  out  on  the  twenty-second  day," 
was  her  reply,  "and  as  it  was  a  day  too  late,  I  decided  to  run  the 
machine  half  a  degree  higher  than  the  directions  order,  and  I 
suppose  I  got  it  too  hot." 

"Did  you  have  any  crippled  chickens  in  the  hatch?" 

"Yes,  in  the  last  hatch  there  were  a  number  of  nice  big  chicks 
that  could  not  stand  up.  Their  legs  sprawled  out  and  I  had  to  kill 
them." 

The  Incubator 

Cripples  usually  come  from  over-heating  the  incubator,  or  from 
irregularity  of  heat.  Poor  or  insufficient  ventilation  will  also  cause 
cripples. 

Now,  what  was  the  reason  for  these  failures  and  what  can  others 
learn  from  them?  After  a  careful  examination  of  the  incubator, 
which  was  a  good  one  of  the  most  approved  make,  I  decided  first 
that  the  incubator  did  not  stand  perfectly  level ;  secondly,  that  the 
thermometer  was  at  fault.  When  the  incubator  is  in  the  least  de- 
gree out  of  level,  the  heat  will  go  to  the  highest  side,  leaving  the 


TESTING  EGGS  FOR  INCUBATION  57 

lowest  possibly  a  degree  or  more  too  cold.  The  first  thing  to  be 
learned  from  this  lady's  failure  is  never  to  start  the  incubator  with- 
out being  absolutely  certain  that  it  is  perfectly  level.  The  only 
way  to  do  this  is  to  use  a  carpenter's  spirit  level.  Put  it  on  top  of 
the  machine  at  each  side  and  then  cross-wise,  and  be  sure  that  the 
bubble  of  air  is  at  the  proper  spot.  You  may  think  that  because  it 
stood  level  last  year  it  is  most  likely  to  be  all  right  this  year.  That 
is  leaving  it  to  chance.  One  of  the  legs  may  have  shrunk  ever  so 
little  from  the  dry  weather  or  swollen  from  the  dampness  of  the 
room  or  the  floor  or  ground  may  have  changed  ever  so  little  at  one 
corner  or  side  without  it  being  perceptible  to  the  eye.  It  is  much 
"better  to  be  sure  than  sorry,"  so  whether  you  are  an  expert  or  not, 
do  not  commence  this  season  to  hatch  without  testing  your  ma- 
chine with  a  spirit  level.  Do  not  trust  to  luck — "pre-arrange"  and 
success  will  be  yours. 

Test  the  Thermometer 

Do  not  start  the  incubator  this  season  without  testing  also  the 
thermometer.  Some  friends  of  mine  once  bought  a  new  incubator 
of  standard  make.  The  thermometer  was  guaranteed  correct;  two 
years  seasoned.  They  had  just  received  from  Canada  twenty  dol- 
lars' worth  of  very  choice  eggs,  and  as  they  wanted  to  be  sure  of  a 
good  hatch  from  those  prize  eggs,  they  bought  this  new  incubator, 
although  they  had  a  good  one.  Not  an  egg  hatched !  They  after- 
wards discovered  that  the  guaranteed  thermometer  was  two  de- 
grees wrong.  Do  not  trust  to  last  year's  testing.  Thermometers 
vary,  and  it  takes  at  least  two  years  to  season  them. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  test  a  thermometer,  but  to  do  so  you  must 
have  one  perfectly  correct  and  accurate.  This  you  can  either  bor- 
row from  the  doctor  or  from  your  druggist,  or  you  can  take  one 
of  your  thermometers  to  the  druggest  and  ask  him  to  test  it  for  you. 
Then  having  one  that  is  accurate,  take  a  bucket  holding  about  two 
quarts  of  water,  put  warm  water  heated  to  about  105  degrees  into 
the  bucket,  and  put  your  thermometers  into  it  with  the  bulbs  all  at 
the  same  level.  Keep  the  water  well  stirred,  so  the  heat  will  be  the 
same  all  over.  Hold  the  thermometers  in  it  for  fifteen  minutes,  then 
read  them  and  note  the  difference.  If  your  thermometer  is  half  a 
degree  too  low,  mark  on  the  incubator,  "Thermometer  half  degree 
too  low ;  run  incubator  half  degree  lower  than  directed,"  or  oppo- 
site, if  the  thermometer  reads  too  high.  If  you  buy  a  new  thermo- 
meter, after  testing  it,  be  sure  to  hang  or  place  it  in  the  correct 
position.  The  bulb  must  be  on  exactly  the  same  level  as  the  former 
thermometer  which  belonged  to  the  machine.  A  little  difference  in 
height  or  in  the  position  of  the  bulb  of  the  thermometer  may  make 
a  great  difference  in  the  heat  on  the  egg  tray.  You  cannot  be  too 
careful  and  particular  about  these  small  items.  "Pre-arrangement" 
of  these  means  success. 

How  to  Test  the  Eggs 

After  supper,  when  it  was  dark,  we  put  the  trays  of  beautiful 
fresh  eggs  on  the  dining  room  table,  put  the  egg  tester  on  the  lamp, 


58  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

and  then  looked  at  each  egg  through  the  tester.  Eggs  were  rejected 
that  were  chalky  to  the  touch,  or  those  that  had  light  spots  in  them 
or  freckled  all  over  with  clear  places,  or  thin  on  the  little  end,  or 
cracked,  or  crooked,  or  in  any  way  misshaped.  A  few  doubtful  I 
left  in,  marking  them  "d"  (these  I  subsequently  heard  did  not 
hatch).  It  is  much  easier  to  detect  the  imperfect  or  unhatchable 
eggs  by  looking  at  them  with  the  tester  than  by  merely  feeling 
them.  It  may  be  a  little  more  trouble  at  the  commencement,  but  is 
a  saving  in  labor  all  through  the  period  of  incubation  and  a  lessen- 
ing in  the  expense  of  oil ;  besides  giving  more  room  for  fertile  eggs 
and  more  chance  of  a  good  hatch,  as  the  infertile  eggs  chill  their 
fertile  neighbors  and  draw  from  their  vitality.  Therefore  do  not 
put  eggs  into  the  incubator,  or  under  hens,  without  carefully  select- 
ing them.  Poultry  keeping  is  made  up  of  little  things,  and  can  so 
easily  be  ruined  by  little  things  that  I  will  add  a  word  of  warning. 
Do  not  hold  the  egg  when  testing  it  so  close  to  the  lamp  that  it 
will  heat  it.  The  tiny  germ  of  life  in  the  egg  is  very  tender  and 
may  easily  be  killed.  For  this  reason  I  made  a  home-made  tester 
out  of  a  cracker  box.  I  cut  a  hole  the  size  of  half  a  dollar  just  op- 
posite the  place  where  the  flame  of  the  lamp  came  when  I  set  it 
inside  the  box.  In  this  way  I  did  not  overheat  the  egg.  I  also 
found  this  box  very  handy  for  testing  eggs  under  setting  hens. 
Eggs,  whether  under  hens  or  in  incubators,  should  always  be  tested 
out.  There  are  thousands  of  eggs  lost  or  wasted  every  year  from 
carelessness  in  this  matter.  An  egg  which  is  infertile  and  is  for  a 
week  either  in  an  incubator  or  under  a  hen  is  perfectly  good  for 
food.  It  is  simply  an  egg  that  has  been  in  a  warm  place  for  a  week. 
There  is  no  germ  in  it ;  there  never  has  been  life  in  it,  so  there  is  no 
dead  germ  to  decay.  Infertile  eggs  keep  fresh  and  sweet  much 
longer  than  fertile  eggs,  and  those  who  are  raising  only  eggs  for 
market  should  keep  no  male  birds  in  their  flock  and  never  have 
fertile  eggs. 

Do  not  put  eggs  from  different  classes  of  fowls  into  the  same 
incubator.  Hens'  eggs  take  twenty-one  days  to  incubate,  but  if 
eggs  from  Leghorns  (Mediterranean  class)  are  placed  in  the  same 
tray  with  Brahmas  (Asiatic  class)  or  with  Plymouth  Rocks  (Ameri- 
can class),  the  Leghorns  will  be  the  first  to  hatch,  sometimes  as 
much  as  two  days  earlier,  to  the  great  detriment  of  the  larger 
breed,  which  is  slower  in  hatching.  This  comes  not  only  from  the 
earlier  hatched  chicks  walking  over  the  eggs,  but  also  from  the 
change  in  the  atmosphere  and  temperature  in  the  incubator  at  the 
time^of  hatching.  At  that  time  the  air  in  the  incubator  is  always 
heavily  charged  with  moisture  and  the  temperature  rises  from  the 
activity  of  the  chicks,  and  these  two  conditions  will  ruin  the  hatch 
of  the  slower  breed.  Experiments  along  these  lines  that  I  have 
made  have  always  given  the  same  results. 


NATURAL  INCUBATION 

i 

The  beginner  may  find  it  best  to  incubate  with  hens  in  prefer- 
ence to  an  incubator.  The  hen,  having  layed  the  egg,  is  the  natural 
mother,  has  the  mother  instinct  given  by  the  Creator,  and  is  cer- 
tainly the  one  intended  to  hatch  and  brood  the  chickens.  To  the  be- 
ginner in  the  chicken  business  there  is  less  present  outlay  in  a  few 
setting  hens  than  in  installing  even  a  small  incubating  and  brood- 
ing plant  under  artificial  methods.  The  trials  of  those  who  find 
setting  hens  troublesome  are  "mostly  due  to  their  own  inability  or 
their  lack  of  patience  with  the  hen.  Hens  must  be  treated  with 
patience  and  gentleness,  for  in  no  way  can  a  hen  that  has  the  "set- 
ting fever,"  as  our  grandmothers  called  it,  be  coerced  against  her 
will. 

How  to  Make  Nests 

The  nest  should  be  about  fourteen  inches  square.  Some  breeders 
use  boxes  twelve  by  sixteen  inches,  but  I  prefer  the  square  nests. 
If  the  nest  is  to  be  on  an  earth  floor,  rake  the  floor,  then  scoop  a 
place  about  thirteen  inches  across  in  the  form  of  a  saucer;  firm  the 
shape  well  with  the  hand,  and  when  it  is  smooth  and  firm,  take  hay 
or  short  straw,  or  tobacco  stems  and  firm  that  again  in  the  proper 
shape,  and  the  nest  is  made.  Should  it  be  necessary  to  have  the 
nest  in  a  box  or  on  a  board  floor,  take  a  clean  box,  have  the  front  of 
the  box  just  high  enough  to  retain  the  nesting  material;  the  backs 
and  sides  may  be  higher;  put  several  inches  of  fresh  earth  into  the 
box,  firm  it  with  the  hand  into  a  saucer-shaped  hollow,  and  be 
sure  to  pack  the  earth  high  into  the  corners,  so  there  will  be  no  pos-' 
sibility  of  the  eggs  rolling  into  a  corner  and  being  chilled  or  lost. 
The  nests  should  be  flat  at  the  bottom,  shaped  like  a  saucer  and 
not  like  a  bowl.  If  too  deep,  the  eggs  will  roll  together,  sometimes 
pile  up  and  get  cracked  or  broken. 

When  only  a  few  hens  are  to  be  set,  the  nests  can  be  placed  in 
any  convenient  location  where  the  hens  may  be  quiet,  comfortable, 
away  from  other  fowls  and  in  the  shade.  I  have  found  trap  nests 
with  two  compartments  very  satisfactory,  placed  under  a  tree.  I 
also  have  made  sets  of  nests,  giving  each  hen  a  nest  and  a  small 
run,  with  a  dish  of  water,  a  hopper  with  grit,  corn  and  wheat  always 
before  her,  shut  off  from  all  intruders.  If  hens  are  to  be  set  in  large 
numbers,  a  separate  hennery  in  which  from  six  to  twenty  hens  can 
be  set  on  the  same  day  is  the  most  convenient.  The  nests  in  this 
house  or  room  should  be  placed  with  their  backs  to  the  wall  and 
should  face  towards  the  center.  Grit,  corn,  water  and  a  dust  bath 
for  them  to  bathe  in  must  be  before  them  at  all  times.  After  a  few 
days,  if  this  hennery  has  a  separate  yard  from  the  other  fowls,  the 
door  of  the  house  may  be  left  open  so  the  hens  can  go  out  of  doors 
and  take  a  dust  bath  in  the  open  air,  but  the  food,  water  and  grit 
must  be  in  the  house  in  sight  of  all  the  hens. 

Setting  the  Hen 

The  old-fashioned  recipe  was,  "Set  a  hen  between  sunset  and 
sunrise  for  luck."  In  other  words,  set  a  hen  in  the  dark.  Hens  are 


60  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

quieter  and  not  so  easily  frightened  after  dark.  Choose  quiet,  gen- 
tle, tame  hens;  they  make  the  best  mothers.  Handle  them  very 
gently.  Put  all  the  hens  on  the  eggs  in  the  same  room  the  same 
evening,  so  they  may  all  hatch  out  the  same  time.  This  is  in  order 
to  keep  the  hens  quiet  during  the  hatch,  as  some  whose  eggs  were 
not  hatching  the  same  day  might  become  so  excited  they  would 
leave  their  own  nests  and  try  to  get  to  the  newly  hatched  chicks 
when  they  heard  the  first  peep. 

Dummy  eggs  should  be  placed  under  the  hens,  when  a  number 
of  hens  are  set  in  the  same  room,  for  a  few  days,  a  few  under  each 
hen.  The  first  night  after  dark  set  all  the  hens  on  dummy  eggs.  If 
some  light  is  necessary,  turn  the  dark  side  of  the  lantern  toward 
the  hen.  Have  as  dim  a  light  as  possible;  move  the  hens  gently, 
They  will  soon  settle  down  on  the  eggs.  In  the  morning  look  in  and 
if  any  hen  appears  refractory,  put  her  on  the  nest  again  and  cover 
her  with  a  box.  Look  in  frequently  for  the  first  few  days  to  see  how 
they  are  doing,  and  you  will  rarely  find  more  than  two  hens  off  and 
eating  at  the  same  time,  as  they  are  afraid  of  leaving  their  nests 
when  others  are  off.  Let  the  hens  sit  for  two  or  three  days,  then 
put  the  good  eggs  gently  in  at  night.  The  way  to  do  this  is  to  re- 
move the  hen  gently,  setting  her  on  the  floor ;  take  out  the  dummy 
eggs  and  put  the  real  eggs  into  the  nest  and  gently  replace  the  hen. 
Do  not  talk,  act  quickly,  silently  and  swiftly,  in  a  very  dim  light. 

From  thirteen  to  fifteen  eggs  are  all  that  should  be  placed  under 
a  hen.  It  is  all  she  can  warm  properly,  all  she  can  turn  and  attend 
to  without  the  risk  of  breaking  or  cracking  some.  You  will  hatch 
more  and  stronger  chicks  by  not  placing  too  many  under  a  hen. 

Keeping  Records 

Above  each  nest,  hanging  on  a  nail,  I  place  a  card.  On  this  card, 
legibly  written  is:  (1)  the  date  when  set;  (2)  when  due;  (3)  the 
hen's  name  or  number;  (4)  name  or  parents'  number  on  eggs;  (5) 
number  of  eggs ;  (6)  date  of  first  test,  number  infertile  or  dead ;  (7) 
date  of  second  test  and  remarks ;  (8)  hatch,  number  taken  from 
nest,  number  not  hatching  or  killed;  (9)  toe  marks  of  chicks.  These 
cards  can  be  preserved  or  copied  into  the  diary  of  the  ranch.  They 
form  a  complete  data  of  each  hatch  and  a  history  of  the  hens  as  well 
as  the  chicks. 

Testing  the  Eggs 

Watch  the  hens  rather  closely  for  the  first  week,  and  note  any 
that  may  be  restless,  nervous,  cross  to  the  others  or  stupid  in  not 
finding  their  way  back  to  their  own  nests.  These,  when  you  test 
the  eggs,  you  may  be  able  to  cull  out  and  turn  them  back  into  the 
laying  pen.  It  is  always  best  to  keep  hens  of  pleasant  disposition 
for  mothers. 

The  eggs  should  be  tested  about  the  seventh  day.  An  expert  can 
test  them  earlier,  and  white  eggs  or  duck  eggs  show  the  germ  as 
early  as  the  fourth  or  fifth  day.  The  removal  of  the  infertile  eggs 
gives  those  that  are  left  a  better  chance  of  hatching.  The  infertile 
eggs  or  dead  germs  are  colder  than  the  living  eggs  and  chill  the  lat- 


NATURAL   INCUBATION  61 

ter ;  besides,  the  infertile  egg  has  a  market  value  and  can  be  used  in 
the  kitchen  or  fed  to  the  chicks.  It  is  a  waste  to  throw  them  away. 
Testing  should  not  be  neglected.  There  is  no  use  in  liens  setting 
on  eggs  that  will  not  hatch.  They  had  better  be  reset  on  fresh  eggs 
or  returned  to  the  laying  pen. 

Egg  testers  can  be  bought  at  the  poultry  supply  houses,  but  a 
home-made  egg  tester  I  have  used  for  years  is  only  a  box  with  the 
back  knocked  out  and  a  hole  in  the  top  for  ventilation.  I  put  the 
lantern  into  it.  Just  opposite  to  the  flame  a  hole  about  two  inches 
square  is  cut  in  the  box  and  a  piece  of  a  rubber  boot-leg  tacked  on. 
I  drew  a  pencil  line  around  a  fifty-cent  piece  and  cut  that  out  with 
a  pen  knife,  leaving  the  round  hole  for  the  light  to  shine  through. 

The  testing  must  be  done  in  the  dark.  Set  the  egg  tester  with 
the  lantern  inside  it  on  a  box  near  the  nest.  Take  the  hen  quietly 
off  the  nest,  being  careful  to  put  your  hands  under  her  wings  to 
make  sure  that  you  do  not  lift  an  egg  or  two  with  her.  Place  the 
hen  very  gently  on  the  floor  at  one  side.  Do  this  so  gently  that  the 
hen  will  not  realize  that  she  is  off  the  nest.  Take  all  the  eggs  from 
the  nest,  placing  them  either  on  the  floor  or  in  a  basket ;  examine 
each  egg  and  replace  each  fertile  egg  in  the  nest  as  you  examine  it; 
mark  on  the  record  card  the  number  of  infertile  eggs,  and  gently 
replace  the  hen  on  the  nest.  Should  any  hen  awake  and  appear 
nervous,  she  can  be  put  upon  the  nest  and  the  eggs  slipped  one  at 
a  time  under  her  as  they  are  tested,  but  the  former  plan  is  prefer- 
able, being  more  quickly  done,  with  less  disturbance  to  the  hen. 

The  light  shining  through  the  egg,  when  held  against  the  hole 
in  the  tester,  shows  the  condition  of  the  egg.  Infertile  eggs  are 
clear.  Fertile  eggs  have  a  shadow  in  them  by  the  seventh  day. 
The  germ  appears  in  some  like  a  dark,  irregular  floating  spot. 
Doubtful  eggs  should  be  marked  with  a  D  and  given  the  benefit 
of  the  doubt,  replacing  them  in  the  nest. 

After  taking  out  the  infertile  eggs,  if  there  are  many  of  them, 
you  can  reset  the  hens  that  have  none  or  turn  them  back  into  the 
laying  pen,  culling  out  the  fractious  or  nervous  hens.  By  doing  this 
carefully  at  each  test,  you  will  probably  have  good  mothers  when 
hatching  time  comes.  Restless  setters  usually  make  indifferent 
mothers.  Close  observation  is  necessary  for  success  in  all  lines  of 
poultry  culture,  and  especially  with  setting  hens. 

The  second  test  should  be  made  in  the  same  way  on  the  four- 
teenth day.  The  eggs  containing  dead  germs  should  be  buried. 

Dusting  the  Hen 

A  hen  should  be  well  dusted  with  insecticide  the  day  she  is  set. 
To  dust  a  hen  the  powder  should  be  in  a  tin  box  with  a  perforated 
cover.  An  effective  home-made  peppering  box  can  be  made  from  a 
baking  powder  can  with  holes  in  the  lid.  Hold  the  hen  by  the  legs, 
lay  her  on  her  side  on  a  newspaper,  raise  the  wing  and  sprinkle  un- 
der it,  then  rub  the  powder  well  into  the  skin,  especially  round  the 
vent.  Work  it  into  the  soft  feathers  also  around  the  neck.  When 
one  side  is  thoroughly  powdered,  turn  the  hen  over  and  do  the  other 


62  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

side.     The  powder  that  is  spilled  on  the  paper  can  be  returned  to 
the  can. 

While  the  hens  are  on  the  nests  they  should  be  dusted  on  the 
seventh  and  fourteenth  day  and  two  days  before  the  hatch  comes 
off,  with  buhach  or  with  any  good  insecticide.  I  prefer  those  prin- 
cipally made  with  tobacco  dust. 

When  Hatching 

In  the  climate  of  California  I  have  never  found  it  necessary  to 
moisten  hens'  eggs.  In  fact,  the  eggs  that  contain  dead  chicks 
show  that  they  have  not  dried  out  enough.  They  did  not  require 
more  moisture.  There  is  a  natural  perspiration  which  comes  from 
the  hen,  and  this  keeps  the  eggs  moist  enough. 

Should  the  eggs  be  chilled  by  the  hen  deserting  the  nest,  do  not 
throw  them  away.  Put  them  under  another  hen  as  quickly  as  pos- 
sible. I  have  known  of  eggs  being  left  for  a  whole  day  and  yet 
hatching.  Eggs  under  hens  will  stand  much  more  cooling  than  in 
an  incubator.  Chilling  seems  to  be  less  injurious  during  the  sec- 
ond week  of  incubation  than  at  any  other  time. 

On  the  nineteenth  day,  two  days  before  the  hatch,  I  take  out  to 
the  nest  a  bucket  of  warm  water,  temperature  103  degrees ;  remov- 
ing the  hen  from  the  nest,  I  put  the  eggs  into  the  water.  Those 
with  a  live  chick  in  them  immediately  being  to  bob  or  move  as  they 
float  on  the  water,  and  I  return  them  to  the  nest ;  those  that  sink  to 
the  bottom  or  remain  perfectly  quiet  have  dead  chicks  in  them  and 
will  not  hatch,  and  I  mark  them  with  a  pencil ;  then  replace  the  hen 
upon  the  damp  eggs,  feeling  sure  I  will  have  a  good  hatch. 

It  is  best  to  watch  the  hens  pretty  closely  when  the  chicks  are 
hatching.  Some  hens  get  excited  and  nervous  when  they  hear  the 
chicks  peeping,  and  in  their  restlessness  crush  the  shell  so  that  the 
chicks  cannot  turn  themselves  and  they  die  in  the  shell.  These 
nervous  hens  should,  if  possible,  be  removed  and  quieter  hens 
put  on. 

When  chicks  are  hatching  rapidly  and  the  hens  are  nervous,  it  is 
best  to  remove  the  chicks  as  they  dry  off,  taking  them  to  the  kitchen 
in  a  basket  lined  and  covered  with  flannel.  But  if  the  hens  are  quiet 
it  is  best  to  leave  the  chicks  with  the  mothers,  only  visiting  the 
nests  about  twice  during  the  hatch  to  take  out  the  empty  shells, 
lest  they  should  slip  over  the  yet  unhatched  eggs  and  so  smother  the 
chick.  All  eggs  should  be  hatched  by  the  end  of  the  twenty-first 
day. 

Marking  Chicks 

The  offspring  of  the  best,  or  pedigreed  stock,  can  be  marked  so 
as  to  know  them  through  life,  by  having  a  small  hole  punched  in 
one  or  more  of  the  webs  of  the  feet.  This  should  be  done  as  the 
chicks  are  removed  from  the  nests.  A  marker  or  punch  is  sold  at 
poultry  supply  houses  for  marking  chicks.  They  should  be  marked 
the  day  they  are  hatched,  as  the  web  is  then  soft,  does  not  bleed  as 
much  as  later,  and  there  is  not  as  much  risk  of  the  other  chicks 
pecking  the  toes  as  they  would  do  when  older. 


NATURAL   INCUBATION  63 

If  the  hens  have  been  well  cared  for,  properly  dusted  with  a  good 
insecticide  during  the  three  weeks  of  incubation,,  the?  will  be  per- 
fectly free  of  lice.  They  and  the  chicks  must  be  kept  free.  There 
is  not  the  difficulty  in  this  that  many  imagine.  Dusting  the  chick- 
ens and  hens  once  a  week  is  all  that  is  necessary.  Some  breeders 
put  a  little  lard  on  the  top  of  their  heads  and  on  their  throats.  This 
protects  from  the  head  lice.  Others  take  a  small  brush  (if  the 
chicks  are  affected  with  head  lice),  and  wash  the  little  heads  once  a 
week  with  a  lather  of  carbolic  soap.  They  soon  dry  off  in  the  sun 
or  under  the  hen. 


ARTIFICIAL  INCUBATION 


We  are  living  in  wonderful  times,  in  the  age  of  great  inventions, 
and  to  succeed  in  any  business,  we  must  keep  abreast  if  not  ahead 
of  our  times.  Not  the  least  wonderful  accomplishment  of  this 
wonder-working  epoch  has  been  the  growth  and  advancement  of 
the  poultry  industry,  and  the  invention  of  the  modern  incubator, 
which  made  the  development  of  the  poultry  business  in  this  coun- 
try possible. 

In  Egypt  and  China  artificial  incubation  has  been  known  and 
practiced  for  many  centuries.  In  this  country  it  is  scarcely  out  of 
its  infancy,  still  it  would  be  impossible  to  estimate  the  value  of  the 
incubator  to  the  poultry  industry.  It  has  made  possible  and  profit- 
able the  large  poultry  plants  in  this  country.  It  has  developed  the 
broiler  business;  it  has  raised  the  hen  to  the  position  of  the  money 
maker.  One  incubator  will  do  the  work  of  ten  to  thirty  hens  and 
with  better  results. 

Must  Approach  Nature 

There  have  been  many  kinds  of  incubators  invented,  made  and 
patented  in  the  last  twenty  years.  The  difficulty  is  to  choose  which 
kind  will  do  the  work  of  hatching  eggs  best ;  that  is,  will  bring  out 
strong  chicks  with  the  least  attention  and  the  least  expense.  There 
are  hot  water  machines  and  hot  air  machines ;  round  incubators  and 
square  incubators.  I  have  heard  of  incubators  in  this  state,  which 
are  made  like  hot  beds  heated  with  stable  manure.  Some  incuba- 
tors are  heated  with  gas,  some  with  electricity,  but  most  of  them 
by  the  heat  of  a  lamp  which  burns  coal-oil.  The  best  incubator  is 
the  one  that  comes  nearest  to  imitating  the  natural  process  of  in- 
cubation by  a  hen,  for  undoubtedly  Nature  is  our  great  teacher 
in  this  matter. 

The  two  favorite  makes  of  incubators  on  the  market  now  are  the 
hot-water  incubators  and  the  incubators  which  bring  warmed  air 
into  the  egg  chamber.  The  latter  are  called  hot-air  incubators.  The 
difference  between  them  is  that  the  hot-water  machines  heat  the 
egg  chambers  by  radiation,  while  the  hot-air  machine  brings  warm 
air  into  the  incubator. 

In  the  machines  where  the  heat  is  radiated  from  the  metal  sur- 
face of  pipes  or  tanks,  the  temperature  at  the  underside  of  the  eggs, 
away  from  the  heat,  is  several  degrees  cooler  than  at  the  upper 
side  of  the  eggs.  Top  heat  by  radiation  is  supposed  to  resemble 
the»heat  from  the  body  of  the  hen. 

In  the  hot-air  incubators  the  egg  chamber  is  heated  by  air  that 
is  warmed  outside  of  the  egg  chamber  to  a  proper  heat  and  is  then 
forced  into  the  machines  by  suction  or  circulation  and  diffused 'into 
the  egg  chamber.  This  way  gives  a  constant  supply  of  warmed 
fresh  air,  as  pure  and  fresh  as  the  atmosphere  outside  of  the  in- 
cubator. These  hot-air  machines  rarely  require  any  moisture  to  be 
added,  as  there  is  usually  sufficient  moisture  held  in  suspension  in 
the  atmosphere,  which  is  being  constantly  introduced  into  the  egg 
chamber. 


ARTIFICIAL  INCUBATION  65 

It  pays  to  get  the  best,  and  by  inquiring  at  the  large  poultry 
plants  in  the  neighborhood,  information  can  easily  be  obtained 
as  to  the  most  popular  machine  in  use  in  that  locality. 

It  is  wiser  to  buy  a  machine  than  to  attempt  to  make  one.    Good 
incubators  are  now  sold  at  so  low  a  price  that  it  does  not  pay  to 
risk  the  loss  of  eggs  in  experimenting  on  a  home-made  machine. 
Location  of  Incubator 

The  incubator  should  be  located  in  a  well-ventilated  room  or 
cellar  that  is  dry  and  not  subject  to  great  variations  of  temperature. 

Preparing  to  Hatch 

The  first  thing  to  do  is  to  set  the  machine  perfectly  level,  using  a 
spirit  level  to  make  sure  of  this,  for  if  the  machine  is  not  level  the 
heat  will  go  to  the  higher  side,  the  temperature  will  be  uneven  and 
although  it  may  be  correct  where  the  thermometer  hangs,  in  the 
middle,  the  upper  side  will  be  too  hot  and  the  lower  too  cold.  It 
is  most  important  to  have  the  incubator  stand  perfectly  level. 

Let  the  incubator  run  for  thirty-six  hours  before  putting  in  the 
eggs.  This  is  to  make  sure  that  the  machine  is  thoroughly  warmed 
and  that  it  is  running  steadily  at  the  proper  heat.  It  may  take 
twelve  hours  before  the  eggs  gradually  warm  through,  and  the 
thermometer  again  shows  the  desired  temperature.  During  this 
time  the  regulator  must  not  be  altered.  Touching  the  screw  may 
prove  fatal  to  the  whole  hatch.  So  wait  patiently  until  the  desired 
heat  is  again  present. 

Selecting  the  Eggs 

Eggs  for  hatching  should  always  be  carefully  selected.  The 
fresher  they  are  the  better.  Eggs  hatch  after  being  kept  a  month, 
but  the  little  germ  or  seed  of  life  gradually  grows  weaker  and 
weaker,  and  at  last  has  not  the  strength  to  develop  into  a  fine, 
healthy  chick,  and  may  die  in  the  shell,  if  the  egg  is  kept  too  long. 
Ten  days  or  two  weeks  is  better  than  any  older. 

The  eggs  should  come  from  vigorous,  healthy  and  well-fed 
stock.  Much  depends  upon  the  feeding  of  the  breeders,  especially 
the  male  bird.  They  should  have  plenty  of  vegetables  and  green 
food,  as  well  as  animal  food  and  those  grains  which  contain  the 
bone  and  muscle-forming  elements.  Eggs  with  imperfect  shells 
should  be  rejected;  also  those  with  rough  or  chalky  shells,  and  with 
thin  spots.  The  eggs  should  be  of  medium  size,  neither  too  large 
nor  too  small,  as  the  large  eggs  may  have  double  yolks,  which 
rarely  hatch.  Small  eggs  denote  inferiority  and  are  either  pullet 
eggs  or  eggs  from  fat  hens,  or  hens  exhausted  from  having  layed  a 
long  time. 

Eggs  of  One  Class 

The  eggs  should  be  of  one  breed  or  class.  It  takes  twenty-one 
days  to  hatch  all  hen  eggs,  but  if  the  eggs  from  Leghorns  are 
placed  in  the  same  tray  as  the  Brahmas,  the  Leghorns  will  be  the 
first  hatched,  sometimes  as  much  as  two  days  sooner,  to  the  great 
detriment  and  loss  of  the  others,  which  are  slower  in  hatching. 
This  is  probably  caused  by  the  change  in  the  atmosphere  and 


66  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

change  in  the  incubator  at  the  time  of  hatching.  The  air  is  heavily 
charged  with  moisture,  and  the  temperature  always  rises  during  a 
hatch  from  the  activity  of  the  chicks,  and  it  is  exceedingly  difficult 
to  regulate  the  temperature  when  the  incubator  is  full  of  chicks 
in  all  stages  of  hatching.  The  rise  of  temperature  does  not  hurt 
the  chicks  that  are  just  breaking  out  of  the  shell,  but  if  it  takes 
place  two  days  too  soon,  it  will  ruin  the  hatch  of  the  heavier  and 
slower  breeds.  Experiments  that  I  have  made  along  these  lines 
have  always  given  the  same  results. 

Turning  the  Eggs 

The  eggs  must  be  left  for  forty-eight  hours  after  being  placed  in 
the  incubator  before  being  turned.  After  that  they  should  be 
turned  twice  a  day,  or  oftener.  In  this  we  should  imitate  the  hen, 
for  she  not  only  turns  her  eggs  constantly,  but  always  shifts  their 
position,  pushing  those  that  are  on  the  outside  into  the  center  of 
the  nest.  It  is  really  more  important  that  the  eggs  be  moved  or 
shifted  from  their  position  or  location  in  the  tray,  than  merely 
turned,  as  it  shifts  the  locations  of  the  eggs  in  regard  to  weak 
germs  or  infertile  eggs. 

If  the  eggs  are  not  turned  during  the  early  stages  of  incubation, 
many  of  the  germs  will  dry  fast  to  the  shell  and  die,  and  the  egg 
will  be  lost.  When  the  egg  is  not  turned  during  the  latter  part  of 
incubation,  the  embryo  does  not  develop  properly,  has  little  chance 
of  hatching  or  may  prove  a  cripple. 

The  turning  and  moving  of  the  eggs  gives  exercise  to  the  em- 
bryo ;  it  is  a  species  of  gymnastics  for  strengthening  the  chick. 
The  first  forty-eight  hours  and  the  last  forty-eight  hours  the  eggs 
must  not  be  turned. 

Cooling  the  Eggs 

Cooling  the  eggs  I  consider  an  important  matter  in  our  Ameri- 
can incubators.  The  first  week,  following  the  hen's  example,  the 
eggs  require  but  little  cooling  beyond  the  time  it  takes  to  turn 
them.  The  second  week,  as  soon  as  the  eggs  are  turned,  replace 
them  in  the  machine  and  leave  the  door  open  for  five  minutes ;  after 
this  increase  the  time,  a  minute  or  two  each  day,  till  at  the  end  the 
eggs  are  being  aired  or  cooled  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes. 

Cooling  the  eggs  helps  to  make  the  shell  brittle,  so  that  the  chick 
at  the  proper  time  can  break  its  way  out.  Cooling  the  eggs  con- 
tracts the  shell  and  heating  it  up  again  expands  it  and  this  con- 
traction and  expansion  gives  the  shell  its  proper  brittleness.  As 
the  eggs  warm  up  again,  an  almost  imperceptible  moisture  comes 
over  them,  which  takes  the  place  of  the  perspiration  of  the  hen,  and 
obviates  the  necessity  of  sprinkling  or  dampening  the  eggs.  So  in 
our  incubators  it  is  necessary  to  cool  the  eggs.  If  this  has  been 
done  properly  the  chicks  will  be  strong  and  vigorous  and  few  will 
die  in  the  shell. 

Testing  the  Eggs 

All  sterile  eggs  and  dead  germs  should  be  tested  out.  Egg 
testers  are  sold  with  all  incubators  and  very  little  practice  will  en- 
able even  a  beginner  to  detect  the  sterile  eggs  and  dead  germs. 


ARTIFICIAL  INCUBATION  67 

Infertile  eggs  will  be  of  a  clear,  uniform  color  throughout,  except 
a  slight  darkening  where  the  yolk  lies.  In  the  fertile  eggs  will  be 
seen  a  small  dark  spot,  and  in  a  white  egg  the  blood  vessels  can  be 
seen  branching  out  from  it.  Eggs  should  be  tested  aHout  the  sev- 
enth day.  A  second  test  for  removing  the  dead  germs  should  be 
made  on  the  fifteenth  day,  they  being  easily  detected  at  that  time. 
The  chicks  in  fertile  eggs  will  be  seen  to  fill  the  shell  nearly,  except 
a  small  space  at  the  small  end,  and  the  air  space  at  the  large  end. 
All  eggs  containing  dead  germs  should  be  removed  from  the  ma- 
chine and  buried.  On  the  eighteenth  day  the  chicks  fill  the  entire 
shell  except  the  air  cell,  and, .the  egg  will  be  quite  opaque,  as  if 
nearly  full  of  ink.  To  become  accurate  in  egg  testing  requires 
practice  and  a  brilliant  light. 

Operating  the  Incubator 

Follow  exactly  the  directions  given  with  whatever  incubator 
you  may  purchase.  The  makers  of  the  incubators  are  anxious  for 
you  to  succeed  and  have  good  hatches;  it  is  to  their  interest  for 
you  to  be  successful.  They  have  spent  time  and  money  in  per- 
fecting and  understand  how  to  manage  their  own  machines  better 
than  any  one  else. 

On  the  morning  of  the  nineteenth  day  the  eggs  should  be  turned 
for  the  last  time.  The  machine  should  then  be  closed  and  kept 
closed  until  the  hatch  is  over.  Opening  the  door  during  the  process 
of  hatching  may  spoil  or  seriously  injure  the  hatch,  as  by  such 
action  a  large  amount  of  heat  and  moisture  escapes  and  cold  air  is 
admitted.  This  dries  up  the  lining  skin  of  the  eggs  that  are  pipped 
and  checks  or  prevents  their  hatching.  It  also  chills  the  half- 
hatched  or  newly  hatched  chicks  and  is  detrimental  to  all  of  them. 
When  the  chicks  are  coming  out  lively,  the  temperature  will  rise ; 
should  it  go  above  105  degrees,  the  lamp  may  be  turned  down  a 
little. 

Leave  the  chicks  in  the  machine  without  opening  it  until  they 
are  thoroughly  dry.  The  chicks  should  not  be  moved  from  the  in- 
cubator until  the  twenty-second  day  and  should  not  be  fed  until 
twenty-four  hours  after  hatching. 

General  Remarks 

Should  the  hatch  not  come  off  until  after  the  twenty-first  day,  it 
shows  that  the  heat  has  been  insufficient ;  if  it  comes  off  earlier,  the 
heat  during  part  of  the  time  has  been  too  high.  Too  low  a  tem- 
perature will  give  a  weak  hatch,  many  chickens  will  die  in  the  shell, 
and  those  that  are  hatched  will  be  weakly  and  never  amount  to 
anything.  Too  high  temperature  at  the  commencement  of  incu- 
bation will  cook  and  kill  the  germ.  One  hundred  and  six  degrees  is 
danger  point  up  to  the  tenth  day.  Germs  which  died  between  the 
first  and  second  testing  are  frequently  the  result  of  overheating. 
Too  high  a  temperature  during  the  last  week  will  so  weaken  the 
bowels  of  the  chicks  that  they  will  be  unable  to  assimilate  the  yolk 
of  the  egg.  The  yolk  of  the  egg  is  Nature's  perfect  nourishment, 
which  feeds  and  nourishes  the  embryo. 


68 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


During  the  last  day  of  the  chick's  life  in  the  shell  the  part  of  the 
yolk  which  has  not  been  absorbed  is  drawn  up  into  the  chick.  This 
forms  its  food  and  nourishment  for  about  three  days.  But  should 
the  egg  be  over-heated,  this  yolk  hardens  and  even  if  drawn  into 
the  chick,  it  becomes  tough,  the  chicken's  bowels  are  weakened  by 
the  over-heating,  the  yolk  remains  unassimilated,  like  a  piece  of 
rubber,  blood  poisoning  ensues  and  the  chick  dies  some  time  be- 
tween the  first  and  tenth  day  of  its  life.  Chilling  the  eggs  has 
almost  the  same  effect ;  it  weakens  the  bowels,  hardens  the  yolk 
and  eventually  kills  the  chick. 


Bi 


CARE  OF  BROODER  CHICKS 

The  hatching  of  chicks  is  but  half  the  battle,  for  eggs  from  good 
vigorous  parents  will  hatch  with  but  little  trouble  if  a  good  standard 
incubator  is  used  and  if  the  directions  with  it  are  followed.  How 
about  the  raising  of  the  chicks  after  they  are  hatched? 

The  poultry  papers  agree  that  there  is  not  a  subject  pertaining 
to  poultry  culture  that  needs  more  thorough,  painstaking  investiga- 
tion and  discussion  than  the  care  of  the  chicks,  and  it  is  said  that 
not  more  than  fifty  per  cent  of  the  chicks  that  are  hatched  the  coun- 
try over  reach  maturity  or  a  marketable  age. 

What  are  the  principal  causes  of  mortality  among  chicks;  how 
can  we  combat  them  and  what  are  the  essentials  in  the  successful 
raising  of  chicks? 

There  are  numberless  causes  for  the  death  we  deplore — among 
these  are  diarrhoea,  bowel  trouble,  lice,  improper  feeding,  impure 
water,  over  heating  or  chilling  and  exposure  to  the  elements. 

Feeling  sure  that  the  mortality  in  chicks  is  caused  in  a  majority 
of  cases  by  the  carelessness  or  ignorance  of  the  caretaker,  let  us 
discuss  this  subject  and  glean  from  the  best  authorities  some  ideas 
about  it  as  far  as  we  may  in  one  short  article. 

Expert  Opinion 

Prof.  James  E.  Rice,  of  Cornell  University,  has  for  several  years 
been  making  a  careful  study  of  the  cause  and  cure — or  prevention 
— of  the  numerous  diseases  that  cause  the  death  of  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  chicks  yearly,  and  his  investigations  have  led  him  to 
believe  that  one  great  cause  of  mortality  is  the  failure  on  the  part 
of  the  digestive  organs  of  the  chicks  to  properly  digest  the  yolk  of 
the  egg  remaining  in  their  bodies  at  the  time  of  hatching. 

Mr.  Rice  says :  "If  we  can  solve  this  one  problem — the  cause  of 
the  anaemic  condition  of  chicks  that  follows  this  failure  to  absorb 
the  yolk  of  the  egg — more  money  will  be  saved  in  one  year  to  the 
farmers  and  poultry  raisers  of  New  York  state  than  it  costs  to  run 
the  State  Agricultural  College  for  ten  years." 

Mr.  Rice  says  he  is  confident  that  environment  has  little,  if  any- 
thing, to  do  with  the  disease,  as  has  been  generally  supposed.  When 
he  first  began  his  investigations,  this  theory  was  worked  upon  and 
followed  up,  but  as  the  investigation  progressed  it  was  found  that 
the  same  conditions  existed  under  almost  any  and  all  circumstances 
—in  dry  places,  in  damp  places,  in  light  brooding  houses  and  in 
dark  brooding  houses ;  in  fact,  he  found  no  conditions  under  which 
this  trouble  did  not  exist.  Mr.  Rice  is  confident,  however,  that  the 
investigations  being  conducted  will  ultimately  solve  the  problem. 

Until  this  problem  is  solved  we  shall  have  to  be  content  with  the 
theories  of  the  different  breeders  and  hatchers,  and  as  one  I  feel 
confident  from  my  own  experiments  and  experiences  that  the  deaths 
from  diarrhoea,  or  in  fact  almost  all  the  deaths  of  brooder  chicks 
before  three  weeks  of  age,  come  from  faulty  incubation.  The  tem- 
perature has  been  either  too  hot  or  too  cold,  usually  the  former,  or 
the  ventilation  has  been  at  fault,  or  the  chicks  have  been  chilled  in 


70  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

carrying  them  to  the  brooder,  or  fed  too  soon,  before  the  digestive 
organs  were  ready  to  digest  the  food. 

Elbow  Room  Needed 

Mr.  Hunter,  the  veteran  poultry  man,  says :  "With  incubator 
chicks  raised  in  brooders,  elbow  room  seems  to  be  a  most  important 
factor,  and  want  of  elbow  room  is  one  cause  for  the  great  mortality 
in  brooder  chicks." 

It  is  quite  natural  to  suppose  that  a  brooder  which  is  three  feet 
square  is  abundant  room  for  seventy-five  or  a  hundred  chicks,  and 
indeed  it  is  for  the  chicks  as  they  come  out  of  the  incubator,  and 
if  we  do  not  want  them  to  grow  it  might  be  all  right  to  crowd  them 
into  the  brooder,  but  these  chicks  will  be  almost  twice  as  large  at 
three  weeks  old  as  when  they  are  hatched  and  will  require  twice 
as  much  room  or  will  suffer  for  it. 

Fifty  chickens  are  as  many  as  should  be  put  into  any  brooder. 
To  increase  the  number  beyond  that  point  will  induce  crowding, 
which  kills  some  and  stunts  others,  and  will  prevent  the  quick, 
healthy  growth  that  is  necessary  for  all  young  animals.  Ample 
brooder  room  is  the  first  and  chief  requisite  for  the  health  and  com- 
fort of  the  chicks.  The  next  requisite  is  oxygen.  In  other  words, 
plenty  of  fresh,  warm  air,  but  no  drafts  in  the  brooder.  Here  is 
one  of  the  great  faults  with  many  brooders,  as  for  example  the  hot 
water  pipe  brooders  in  use  in  many  brooder  houses.  Those  hot 
water  pipes  merely  heat  the  air  that  is  already  within  the  hovers, 
which  air  is  practically  confined  to  the  hovers  by  the  felt  curtain 
in  front,  provided  to  keep  in  the  heat.  It  does  that,  but  it  also  en- 
closes the  air,  which  the  chicks  have  to  breathe  over  and  over  again. 
This  defect  in  my  brooders  cost  me  the  lives  of  many  chicks  before 
I  discovered  the  cause.  A  current  of  warmed  fresh  air  supplied 
under  the  hovers  overcame  this  difficulty,  when  I  substituted  the 
hot-air  plan. 

Comfort  Essential 

The  brooder  should  be  heated  for  at  least  twelve  hours  before 
the  chicks  are  put  into  it.  I  always  keep  a  thermometer  in  the 
brooder  and  have  it  at  95  degrees  when  they  are  first  removed  from 
the  incubator.  They  should  be  carried  to  the  brooder  in  a  basket 
lined  and  covered  with  flannel,  great  care  being  taken  that  they  be 
not  chilled  on  the  way.  I  am  sure  that  many  chicks  lose  their  lives 
by  being  chilled  on  this  their  first  journey.  The  abrupt  change 
from  the  warm  incubator  to  the  outside  air,  which  is  thirty  or  forty 
degrees  colder,  is  sufficient  to  chill  the  chick. 

A  chill  will  harden  the  yolk  of  the  egg,  which  is  drawn  up  into 
the  chick  the  last  day  of  its  stay  in  the  egg  shell.  You  know  that 
the  yolk  of  the  egg  forms  the  nourishment  for  the  chick  inside  the 
shell.  The  last  day  of  its  life  in  the  shell  all  that  remains  of  the 
yolk,  about  one-fourth  of  it,  is  drawn  up  into  the  chicken  through 
the  navel.  If  the  chick  is  vigorous  the  yolk  should  be  assimilated 
or  digested  in  about  three  days.  But  if  the  chick  is  chilled  or  over- 
heated, it  so  weakens  the  bowels  that  they  cannot  digest  the  yolk 
or  absorb  it,  and  the  yolk  hardens  or  toughens,  becomes  almost 


CARE    OF    BROODER    CHICKS  71 

like  rubber;  then  it  can  never  be  assimilated,  blood  poisoning  en- 
sues and  the  chick's  life  ends. 

Chicks  should  not  be  fed  for  from  thirty-six  to  forty-eight  hours 
after  they  come  out  of  the  shell,  because,  first,  they  do  not  require 
any  food,  as  the  yolk  inside  them  takes  nearly  three  days  to  become 
absorbed  or  digested ;  and,  secondly,  if  they  are  fed  too  soon  (that 
is,  before  the  yolk  is  digested),  the  effort  of  digesting  the  new 
food  draws  the  nervous  energy  or  gastric  juices  away  from  the  part 
containing  the  yolk,  up  to  the  crop  and  gizzard,  and  the  yolk  either 
does  not  digest  at  all  or  digests  so  slowly  that  it  brings  on  bowel 
trouble,  which  at  such  an  early  age  stunts  the  growth,  if  it  does 
not  kill  the  chick.  In  a  chick  that  is  fed  too  early  in  life  the  yolk 
will  take,  or  may  take,  ten  days  to  digest.  You  ask  how  I  know 
this.  "By  sad  experience  and  post  morten  examinations,"  is  my 
reply. 

The  brooder  being  warmed  to  a  temperature  of  95  degrees  under 
the  hover,  the  floor  should  be  covered  with  coarse,  sharp  sand,  the 
chicks  carried  carefully  to  the  brooder,  after  remaining  thirty-six 
to  forty-eight  hours  in  the  incubator. 

Feed  Carefully 

The  first  few  hours  in  the  brooder  they  require  no  food  but  the 
sand  to  eat  and  water  to  drink.  The  sand  supplies  the  little  gizzards 
with  the  necessary  teeth  or  little  grindstones,  so  that  they  are  ready 
to  commence  work  when  the  food  comes.  Water  I  place  in  a  drink- 
ing fountain,  so  they  cannot  get  into  it  and  wet  themselves.  I  give 
them  water  from  the  first.  I  know  some  people  do  not,  but  it  has 
succeeded  well  with  my  chicks.  At  about  four  o'clock  they  have 
the  first  meal.  I  scatter  rolled  breakfast  oats  on  the  sand.  The 
white  flakes  quickly  attract  their  attention  and  they  pick  them  up. 
I  also  give  them  a  fountain  of  fresh  water  and  one  of  sweet 
skimmed  milk.  It  is  surprising  to  see  how  quickly  they  learn  to 
eat  and  drink.  In  the  evening  I  look  in  upon  them  and  am  pleased 
when  I  see  them  spread  over  the  hover  floor,  as  it  indicates  that 
they  are  comfortably  warm  and  will  not  crowd  or  huddle  during 
the  night.  The  first  thing  in  the  morning  I  give  them  some  more 
rolled  oats  and  some  "chick  feed."  The  "chick  feed"  I  buy  at  the 
poultry  supply  stores.  It  is  composed  of  a  variety  of  seeds  or 
grains,  with  a  little  charcoal,  dried  blood,  or  beef  scraps  and  grit. 
Sometimes  I  make  my  own  chick  feed  by  mixing  cracked  wheat, 
kaffir  corn,  millet,  steel  cut  oats,  pearl  barley  and  rolled  oats  to- 
gether, adding  charcoal  and  dried  beef  scraps.  I  put  more  wheat 
and  more  oats  into  this  mixture  than  any  of  the  other  grains.  The 
chick  feed  that  I  buy  has  in  addition  some  other  seeds,  such  as 
rape  or  mustard,  canary  seed,  hemp,  etc.  I  buy  chick  feed  to  save 
myself  the  trouble  of  mixing.  Chick  feed  and  rolled  oats  is  their 
main  feed  until  they  are  six  or  eight  weeks  of  age.  I  feed  them  five 
times  a  day  at  first,  and  I  always  leave  a  little  feed  trough  or  hop- 
per of  chick  feed  where  they  can  get  it.  I  know  this  is  contrary  to 
the  advice  of  many,  but  I  found  the  weaker  ones  did  not  get  the 
proper  amount  when  all  rushed  for  the  food,  and  also  it  was  a  great 


72  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

comfort  to  me,  if  anything  detained  me  beyond  the  usual  feeding 
time,  to  know  they  had  food  before  them.  Also  when  fed  at  the 
usual  hour  they  were  not  so  ravenously  hungry;  they  would  not 
overload  their  little  stomachs. 

Their  morning  meal  at  about  six  in  the  morning,  consists  of 
rolled  or  flake  breakfast  oats,  next  green  feed,  then  chick  feed,  then 
rolled  oats,  green  feed  and  the  last  feed  after  they  are  a  few 
days  old  is  hard  boiled  eggs  (two  for  every  fifty  chicks),  chopped 
fine,  shell  and  all,  mixed  with  dry  bread  crumbs  or  cracker  crumbs, 
and  an  onion  chopped  very  fine.  I  mix  all  together,  adding  a  little 
pepper  and  salt.  If  I  have  no  bread  crumbs,  I  add  Johnny  cake 
or  rolled  oats  to  the  onion  and  eggs.  I  always  send  them  to  bed 
with  their  little  crops  full. 

As  They  Grow  Older 

I  keep  a  thermometer  under  the  hover  in  the  brooder  and  lower 
the  temperature  one  degree  a  day  until  it  is  down  to  sixty-five  de- 
grees. After  the  chicks  are  six  weeks  old,  unless  the  weather  is 
unusually  cold,  they  require  no  heat.  For  green  feed  they  seem 
to  prefer  lettuce  to  anything  else.  Finely  cut  clover  or  alfalfa  is 
excellent.  The  lettuce  I  cut  up  very  fine  at  first,  but  in  a  few  days 
they  learn  to  tear  it  up,  and  lettuce  suspended  on  a  string  or  even 
thrown  on  the  ground,  gives  them  exercise  and  amusement  as.  well 
as  food. 

In  the  playroom,  where  the  chicks  are  fed,  the  floor  is  covered 
with  chaff.  If  I  cannot  get  from  the  mill  real  chaff  I  cut  up  hay  in 
the  clover  cutter,  either  wheat  hay  or  alfalfa  hay,  to  give  them 
something  to  scratch  in,  and  I  throw  a  handful  of  chick  feed  into  it 
for  them  to  have  something  to  reward  their  efforts. 

The  alfalfa  hay  or  chaff  keeps  them  busy  and  exercising  and  this 
broadens  their  backs  and  increases  the  size  and  vigor  of  the  egg 
making  organs  which  are  already  commencing  to  grow  and  which 
we  must  develop  from  the  very  first  if  we  want  to  increase  the  egg 
output.  The  chaff,  or  preferably  the  alfalfa  hay  chopped  short,  also 
conceals  their  little  feet  from  their  active  and  sometimes  mis- 
chievous brothers  and  stops  them  from  pecking  the  feet  and  draw- 
ing blood,  which  tastes  so  good  that  they  will  actually  turn  canni- 
bal and  tear  out  and  eat  the  bowels,  sometimes  causing  great  loss. 
This  is  always  prevented  by  keeping  the  chicks  busy  scratching 
in  deep  chaff. 

They  have  fresh  water  each  time  they  are  fed.  The  first  meal 
is  at  about  six  in  the  morning,  and  if  I  fear  that  I  may  be  later 
than  that,  I  put  fresh  feed  and  water  in  their  playroom  over  night, 
so  that  the  hungry  babies  may  not  be  kept  waiting.  They  come 
out  at  daybreak,  eat  a  little,  and  sometimes  drink,  and  then  go  back 
and  take  another  nap. 

The  brooders  must  be  cleaned  twice  a  week  the  first  week,  three 
times  a  week  afterwards,  and  every  day  when  the  chicks  grow 
larger.  The  chicks  should  be  dusted  with  insect  powder  about  once 
a  week.  To  do  this  I  have  a  tin  box  (a  baking  powder  can  with  a 
perforated  cover),  put  insect  powder  into  rt  and  after  dark  raise 
the  hover  and  sprinkle  the  powder  liberally  over  the  chicks.  This 
will  usually  keep  them  free  from  lice. 


FIRELESS  BROODERS  HAVE  COME  TO  STAY 

Fireless  brooders  have  come  to  stay,  at  least  in  California.  I 
do  not  mean  to  say  that  they  would  be  suitable  in  a  broiler  plant, 
for  there  chicks  are  raised  not  to  be  muscular  and  sturdy,  but  tender 
and  fat,  and  for  that  they  require  to  be  kept  always  warm  and  fed  a 
fattening  diet,  and  the  heated  brooder  is  or  may  be  better  adapted 
to  their  needs,  but  for  the  sturdy  chick,  the  chick  we  want  to 
develop  into  a  first  rate  layer,  or  a  large  market  fowl,  or  a  winner 
at  the  show,  the  fireless  brooder,  properly  handled,  in  this  climate 
is  excellent. 

Some  few  months  ago  I  gave  a  description  of  a  home-made 
fireless  brooder  which  one  of  our  readers  made  two  or  three  years 
ago.  Several  made  some  by  that  plan  and  have  expressed  their 
great  satisfaction  at  the  ease  with  which  they  now  raise  their 
chickens.  At  the  same  time  I  mentioned  that  many  of  the  poultry 
supply  houses  had  excellent  fireless  brooders  for  sale.  Since  that 
time  I  have  met  a  number  of  prominent  poultry  breeders  here,  who 
had  been  quite  prejudiced  against  these  fireless  brooders,  just  as 
many  poultry  raisers  years  ago  thoroughly  disapproved  of  incuba- 
tors, and  I  find  those  who  have  tried  the  brooders  without  heat 
are  loud  in  praise  of  them. 

One  very  successful  business  man  who  wins  prizes  every  time 
he  exhibits,  said  to  me :  "The  fireless  brooders  are  great.  I  have 
not  lost  more  than  three  per  cent  of  my  hatches  since  I  have  used 
them."  And  in  talking  over  the  brooders  with  many  others  I  find 
that  one  of  the  great  advantages  is  that  there  is  no  fear  of  fire. 
Where  no  fire  is,  there  is  no  danger  of  either  smoke  or  a  con- 
flagration, which  is  a  very  great  comfort  to  a  busy  poultry  man 
or  woman,  and  especially  at  night. 

I  have  lately  seen  a  brooder  made  by  Mr.  Hammons,  the  man- 
ager of  the  mammoth  brooder  plant  near  Los  Angeles.  It  is 
easily  made  and  has  some  points  of  special  value  not  found  in  the 
one  I  last  described. 

The  brooder  made  by  Mr.  Hammons  is  his  own  invention  and 
he  has  no  objection  to  any  one  copying  it.  It  is  a  box  20  inches 
square  and  6  inches  deep,  and  in  each  corner  has  a  small  block  4 
inches  high  for  the  frame  of  the  hover  to  rest  upon.  The  lower 
frame  does  not  fit  tightly  in  the  box;  this  is  one  of  the  new  im- 
provements; there  is  a  space  of  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  on  all 


Hammon's  Fireless  Brooder 


74  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

four  sides ;  this  is  for  ventilation.  A  door  four  inches  square  is  cut 
and  hinged  on  one  side  of  the  box  for  ingress  and  egress  of  the 
chickens.  The  hover  frame  is  covered  with  heavy  double  canton 
flannel,  and  seven  square  blankets  cut  out  of  good  thick  felt  lie 
on  top  of  the  hover.  These  little  blankets  must  not  cover  the 
quarter  inch  crack  for  ventilation,  but  should  just  fit  inside  the 
frame.  This  is  another  special  novelty.  The  first  week  all  of  the 
blankets  are  used  and  each  succeeding  week  one  is  removed,  until 
at  eight  weeks  of  age  the  chicks  have  no  blankets  over  them  and 
are  ready  to  leave  the  brooder. 

The  brooder  20  inches  square  and  made  as  I  described  will  ac- 
commodate only  25  chickens.  Mr.  Hammons'  experience  has 
taught  him  that  this  number  is  the  very  best  for  one  flock,  as  then 
each  chick  can  grow  without  crowding. 

At  first  he  makes  a  nest  of  straw  nearly  filling  the  box,  leaving 
a  nicely  rounded  out  place  in  the  middle  for  the  baby  chicks  to 
nestle  in,  and  as  they  grow,  less  straw  is  needed,  but  a  little  should 
always  be  used  to  keep  the  floor  and  the  chickens'  feet  clean.  The 
blankets  should  be  sunned  and  aired  daily  to  keep  them  sweet  and 
clean,  as  one  airs  one's  own  bed. 

Mrs.  Frank  Metcalf,  the  originator  of  the  celebrated  "Buckeyes," 
writes :  "I  have  had  fine  success  with  Mr.  Hammons'  brooder  and 
recommend  it  to  others  as  the  best  I  have  ever  used.  I  raised 
forty-seven  out  of  fifty  hatched  in  the  last  batch  of  Buckeyes.  Fif- 
teen turkeys  may  be  raised  in  one  of  these ;  I  found  that  eleven  did 
very  nicely,  although  more  would  have  been  better  at  first.  \Ye 
had  little  coops  30  inches  wide,  by  six  feet  long  and  confined  the 
chicks  with  the  box  inside  of  these  for  the  first  week ;  after  that 
they  had  wire  runs  out  of  doors." 

This  brooder  is  simply  a  square  box,  20  x  20  inches,  6  inches 
deep,  made  of  24-inch  dressed  tongue  and  grooved  wood,  with  a 
hover  laid  on  it  instead  of  a  lid,  and  with  ventilation  all  round  the 
edge  of  the  hover  and  the  sides  of  the  box,  giving  free  air  around 
the  chicks  as  it  would  be  around  a  hen.  It  is  a  good  imitation  of  a 
hen. 

Handles  can  be  nailed  on  the  box  so  it  can  be  carried  easily, 
chicks  and  all. 


"WHITE   DIARRHOEA"   IN   BROODER   CHICKS 

This  is  a  disease  which  rarely  attacks  chickens' hatched  and 
raised  by  hens,  and  therefore  it  must  be  caused  either  by  faulty 
incubators  or  wrong  "mothering." 

We  all  know  that  at  times  quite  a  number  of  chicks  in  a  brooder 
will  be  "stuck  up  behind,"  as  it  is  sometimes  called ;  how  they  run 
about  with  their  shoulders  up,  looking  wizened  and  old ;  how  they 
try  to  huddle  near  the  warmth  and  finally  give  up  the  hopeless 
struggle  and  die. 

"I  think  my  chicks  are  taking  some  disease  and  dying  from  an 
epidemic,"  said  a  lady,  who,  though  a  novice  with  incubators  and 
brooders,  was  an  old  and  most  successful  poultry  woman  with  hens. 
These  chicks  had  been  overheated  in  the  incubator  I  discovered 
two  days  after  hatching. 

Another  friend,  a  very  clever  surgeon,  told  me  one  chilly  night 
his  incubator  lamp  went  out  and  all  the  eggs  got  stone  cold.  His 
wife  could  not  bear  to  think  of  losing  all  those  nice  eggs  after  hav- 
ing watched  them  for  nearly  three  weeks,  so  she  advised  lighting 
up  again  in  hopes  of  saving  some.  This  they  did,  and  were  re- 
warded with  fifty  nice,  lively  chicks,  but  in  a  few  days  they  com- 
menced to  die ;  they  were  "stuck  up  behind,"  or  they  shivered  and 
seemed  quite  thirsty,  and  at  last,  when  only  fifteen  were  left,  he 
made  some  post  mortem  examinations,  and  he  found  the  yolk  of 
the  egg,  which  is  drawn  up  into  the  bowel  cavity  the  last  day  of 
incubation,  was  still  there,  only  it  looked  in  some  like  a  bit  of 
rubber,  in  some  like  hard-boiled  eggs,  and  again  in  others  it  was 
dark  and  putrid.  Instantly  he  reasoned  that  it  was  that  yolk  that 
was  killing  the  chicks  by  blood  poisoning. 

He  had  only  fifteen  left,  but  he  decided  to  experiment  on  them, 
so  he  opened  them ;  his  wife  begged  him  to  give  them  chloroform, 
which  I  believe  he  did,  and  he  removed  the  toughened  yolk,  sewed 
up  the  wound,  fed  them  lightly  and  all  of  the  patients  recovered  and 
lived  to  maturity. 

It  was  a  delicate  operation,  but  my  friend  had  the  skillful  hand 
of  a  trained  surgeon.  I  never  attempted  it  myself,  but  have  made 
many  a  sad  post  mortem  on  little  chicks  dying  from  being  "stuck 
up  behind,"  for  I  make  it  a  rule  to  hold  "post  mortems"  on  all  sub- 
jects that  die  in  my  yards. 

One  time  a  whole  incubator  of  eggs — 240 — were  overheated  by  a 
meddlesome  child  playing  with  the  regulator.  Two  days  later  117 
hatched,  the  others  were  cooked  hard.  Every  one  of  the  117  died, 
although  some  lived  to  be  eleven  days  old.  I  did  everything  I 
could  think  of  to  save  them  (except  the  surgical  operation),  but 
lost  all. 

I  feel  sure  that  either  overheating  or  chilling  so  weakens  the 
bowels  that  they  cannot  digest,  or,  rather,  assimilate  the  egg,  and 
that  the  yolk  putrifies  and  causes  blood  poisoning;  and  that  either 
overheating  in  the  brooder  or  chilling  before  the  chicks  are  a  week 
old  will  have  the  same  result.  Also  if  the  chicks  are  fed  too  soon 


76  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

after  hatching,  the  digestive  juice  or  whatever  it  may  be  called, 
goes  into  the  crop  and  gizzard  to  digest  the  new  food  and  the  yolk 
of  egg  is  left  to  either  digest  very  slowly  or  to  not  digest  at  all. 
In  either  case  it  will  give  diarrhoea  and  it  may  end  fatally. 

I  am  often  asked  what  to  do  for  young  chickens  that  have  diar- 
rhoea, and  also  for  those  that  are  "stuck  up  behind."  I  know  how 
almost  hopeless  these  cases  are,  as  they  usually  come  from  the  un- 
assimilated  yolk  of  egg,  but  I  reply  that  rice  boiled  in  milk,  adding 
a  teaspoonful  of  ground  cinnamon  to  every  pint  of  milk  is  about 
the  best  remedy  for  diarrhoea  that  I  have  tried,  and  to  pick  off 
with  the  fingers  the  dried  excrement,  slightly  greasing  the  vent 
with  carbolated  vaseline  is  the  only  way  for  "stuck  up."  If  the 
droppings  are  washed  off,  it  is  almost  sure  to  chill  the  already 
weakened  bowels  and  result  fatally. 


VIGOR 


I  never  advise  beginners  to  commence  by  trying  to  make  a 
new  breed,  because  very  few  are  capable  of  success,  just  as  there 
are  but  few  artists  who  can  paint  a  magnificent  picture  when  they 
first  begin  to  paint.  To  beginners  I  say,  choose  the  breed  and  the 
standard  that  you  like  best,  and  keep  to  that  breed.  Then  go  on 
improving  your  flock.  The  way  to  do  this  is  first  of  all,  look  to 
the  vigor  of  your  flock.  It  is  VIGOR,  first,  last,  and  always  that 
you  want.  "But,"  says  the  beginner,  "how  am  I  to  get  vigor,  and 
how  am  I  to  keep  it?" 

First  to  get  vigor,  you  have  to  begin  with  the  parents. 

Get  your  eggs  from  healthy,  vigorous  stock,  that  have  been  fed 
the  ratio  for  vigor.  Then  hatch  them  properly,  remembering  that 
if  you  have  a  poor  hatch  (that  is  to  say,  if  you  find  a  number  of 
chicks  dead  in  the  shell,  if  the  hatch  has  been  hurried  by  too  much 
heat  or  retarded  by  too  low  a  temperature),  that  those  chicks  which 
do  manage  to  get  out  of  the  shell  will  not  have  vigor  of  constitu- 
tion, nor  size  of  frame,  nor  the  early  development  so  necessary  for 
success.  A  great  deal  depends  upon  the  chick  being  properly 
hatched ;  for  that  reason  I  advise  beginners  to  commence  hatching 
with  hens,  and  when  they  do  have  an  incubator,  get  a  good  standard 
incubator,  and  set  one  or  two  hens  at  the  same  time,  keep  them  both 
running  evenly  together.  Biddy  will  teach  beginners  a  great  deal. 
Then  when  the  chicks  are  hatched,  feed  for  vigor.  Consult  Nature, 
feed  the  fluffy  little  fellows  after  you  have  allowed  them  the  neces- 
sary rest  of  at  least  thirty-six  hours  before  feeding  them.  All  a 
chick  needs  is  rest  and  warmth  to  go  on  growing  for  about  two 
days  or  even  three ;  after  that  time  its  digestive  organs  are  ready  for 
work ;  then  they  must  have  the  proper  kind-  of  food. 

The  Crop 

Nature  has  given  the  chick  a  crop  where  the  food  is  first  re- 
ceived. In  this  crop  is  found  a  fluid,  something  like  the  saliva  in 
human  beings;  this  saliva  acts  upon  the  food,  softening  it  and  other- 
wise preparing  it  for  digestion.  The  food  then  moves  on  to  the 
proventriculus,  or  stomach,  where  it  is  still  acted  upon  by  a  fluid, 
and  it  finally  passes  to  the  gizzard. 

The  dry  chick  feed,  so  universally  used,  composed  of  a  great 
many  fine  grains,  is  admirably  adapted  to  feeding  the  chick.  There 
are  some  grains  especially  conducive  to  vigor;  the  chief  of  these 
is  oats,  in  any  form,  steel-cut,  hulled,  or  rolled  breakfast  oats. 
There  is  another  thing  which  Nature  in  the  spring  time  gives  the 
chicks,  plenty  of  worms,  bugs,  insects.  Often  after  an  April  shower, 
I  have  seen  the  ground  covered  with  worms,  but  here  in  California 
there  are  not  enough  insects  to  supply  the  chickens,  therefore  the 
chicks  must  have  animal  food  as  well  as  succulent  green  food.  I 
used  to  buy  two  pounds  of  hamburger  steak  three  times  a  week, 
and  nothing  suited  the  chicks  better,  fed  raw  once  a  day. 


78  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

Exercise 

Vigor  comes  from  exercise  as  well  as  from  the  proper  food. 
Scratching  is  by  far  the  best  exercise  for  chicks.  It  keeps  the  organs 
of  digestion  in  a  healthy  condition ;  it  gives  the  chick  a  good  ap- 
petite ;  it  broadens  the  back,  giving  plenty  of  room  for  and 
developing  the  egg  organs,  strengthens  the  muscles  and  enlarges 
the  frame. 

How  shall  we  give  them  work?  The  best  way,  of  course,  is 
to  give  the  mother  hen  range.  Chicks  on  range  with  the  mother 
hen  rarely  acquire  bad  habits.  It  is  chicks  in  the  brooder  that  get 
into  mischief,  that  quarrel  and  scrap,  peck  each  others  toes  and  get 
to  be  cannibals.  The  best  way  of  preventing  mischief  is  by  bedding 
the  brooders,  one  or  two  inches  deep,  with  alfalfa  hay,  cutting  to 
half-inch  lengths  in  a  clover  cutter.  The  little  chicks  will  eat  some 
of  this,  and  they  will  scratch  in  it  for  seed  of  the  chick  feed  all 
day  long.  This  chaff,  or  finely  cut  hay,  hides  the  toes  so  they  will 
not  be  tempted  to  peck  each  others'  toes.  Another  method  for 
exercise  is  planting  the  runs  with  wheat  or  barley.  The  chicks 
will  scratch  up  or  pull  up  the  green  sprouts.  Hanging  a  head  of 
lettuce  up  in  the  brooder  house  will  also  afford  both  amusement  and 
exercise. 

Never  let  chicks  be  crowded  at  night.  Many  a  chick  that  might 
have  been  a  prize  winner  is  disqualified,  has  off-colored  feathers 
simply  from  having  been  crowded  or  bruised  by  a  larger  chick 
treading  on  it".  A  bruise,  even  a  slight  one,  will  often  result  in  a 
white  feather  on  a  colored  fowl  or  a  black  or  red  feather  on  a  white 
fowl,  and  over  crowding  has  the  same  effect. 


THE  ONE-DAY-OLD  CHICK  TRADE 


The  one-day-old  chick  trade  has  come  to  stay.  This  may  be 
said  to  be  a  separate  and  rather  new  branch  of  the  chicken  business, 
but  it  has  passed  its  experimental  stage  and  both  in  this  country 
and  in  England  it  is  becoming  popular.  It  can  scarcely  be  said  to 
be  a  new  business,  because  it  has  been  known  and  practiced  in 
Egypt  for  thousands  of  years,  in  fact,  it  is  the  only  way  known 
there  of  raising  chickens.  As  soon  as  one  of  the  large  hatcheries 
there,  hatch  out  the  chickens,  notice  is  sent  to  the  surrounding  vil- 
lages, and  the  twenty  or  forty  thousand  little  chicks  are  sold  within 
twenty-four  hours,  or  before  being  fed. 

The  one-day-old  chick  trade  is,  as  its  title  indicates,  the  selling 
of  baby  chicks  the  day  they  are  hatched.  There  has  been  and  still 
is  wide  discussion  over  this  business,  which  at  first  met  with  but 
little  encouragement  from  the  breeders  of  fancy  poultry,  some 
fanciers  averring  that  it  will  injure  the  sale  of  their  fancy  eggs, 
while  others  even  threaten  to  call  in  the  humane  society  to  prevent 
such  cruelty  as  selling  chickens  at  so  tender  an  age. 

Some  of  our  long-headed  fanciers,  both  men  and  women,  finding 
there  was  a  demand  for  one-day-old  chicks,  rose  to  the  emergency, 
doubled  the  price  of  their  eggs  in  live  chicks,  and  have  made  a 
great  success  of  the  business.  I  have  had  letters  from  Nevada, 
Montana,  Arizona,  New  Mexico  and  even  from  Old  Mexico  and 
Texas,  telling  of  the  great  success  poultry  raisers  have  had  in 
those  distant  places,  raising  the  chicks  after  their  long  journey 
from  Los  Angeles,  one  man  writing  that  he  had  raised  88%  and 
another  90%  to  maturity. 

L.  Yarian  of.  Lima,  Ohio,  writes:  "No  branch  of  the  poultry 
business  is  attracting  more  attention  at  present  and  no  branch  of 
the  poultry  business  is  more  worthy  than  the  selling  of  day-old 
chicks,  with  hundreds  of  others  in  all  parts  of  the  United  States. 
I  believe  it  is  the  best  branch  of  the  poultry  business  ever  orig- 
inated." 

Day-old  chicks  or  chicks  taken  direct  from  the  incubator  and 
securely  packed,  can  be  safely  shipped  to  all  parts  of  the  United 
States,  except  to  a  very  few  places,  located  in  some  out  of  the 
way  place  where  the  chicks  would  have  to  travel  for  more  than 
three  days. 

Occasionally  a  chick  may  die  en  route,  but  don't  they  die  for  you 
at  home,  when  they  are  only  a  couple  days  old?  Certainly  they 
do,  and  what  proof  can  be  advanced  that  the  same  chick  that  dies 
en  route  would  not  have  died  at  home?  Is  it  a  cruel  practice?  I 
answer  emphatically,  No.  Then  some  people  will  ask,  what  will  the 
chick  eat  while  on  the  trip?  I  reply,  nothing,  because  the  last  thing 
the  chick  does  before  it  leaves  the  shell  is  to  absorb  the  yolk  of 
the  egg,  which  is  nature's  own  food  intended  to  furnish  nourishment 
for  the  baby  chick,  until  its  little  digestive  system  gets  in  good 
working  order  and  is  able  to  handle  the  food  properly. 

Poultry  men  of  experience  are  all  agreed  that  more  little  chicks  are 


80  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

killed  by  too  early  feeding  than  by  delay  in  feeding,  and  all  advise 
that  the  chick  be  not  fed  until  it  is  at  least  two  or  three  days  old. 
In  fact,  some  people  attribute  the  diarrhoea  of  little  chicks  to  too 
early  feeding.  If  you  overcrowd  the  chick's  digestive  system  before 
it  is  ready  to  digest,  you  will  have  bowel  trouble,  and  you  know  with 
that  you  will  not  have  the  chicks  very  long.  If  it  is  the  advice  of 
men  of  experience,  not  to  feed  until  at  least  the  chick  is  a  couple 
of  days  old,  then  why  cannot  the  bird  be  traveling  during  that  time, 
comfortably  packed  in  a  warm  box.  That  chicks  can  be  safely 
shipped,  has  been  successfully  proved  through  all  who  have  ever 
attempted  to  do  so,  unless  the  chicks  have  very  low  vitality.  Thou- 
sands are  being  shipped  all  over  California  and  the  neighboring 
states,  most  successfully,  where  if  eggs  had  been  expressed  instead 
of  chicks,  many  would  have  been  broken  en  route,  for  they  would 
have. been  handled  many  times  rougher  than  the  baby  chicks.  It 
would  be  a  very  hard-hearted  expressman  who  would  throw  a  box 
of  baby  chicks  across  an  express  car  as  they  sometimes  do  when 
they  handle  eggs.  The  selling  of  day-old  chicks  should  be  en- 
couraged, especially  among  amateurs  who  often  get  so  discouraged 
by  having  poor  hatches  that  they  give  up  after  their  first  attempt. 
I  have  frequently  had  persons  write  to  thank  me  for  sending 
the  chicks,  saying  that  the  chicks  arrived  in  such  good  condition 
after  three  days'  journey  that  they  were  better  and  stronger  than 
those  hatched  at  the  same  time  that  had  not  taken  the  journey.  One 
man  in  particular,  in  Mexico,  ordered  fifty  chicks  and  his  success 
was  so  great  that  the  neighbors  around  ended  by  getting  two  thou- 
sand last  season,  and  this  year  others  in  the  same  neighborhood  are 
already  sending  for  them  by  the  thousand.  The  day-old  chick  busi- 
ness has  come  to  stay  in  America  as  well  as  in  Egypt. 


BROILER  RANCHES 

Broiler  raising  is  one  of  the  lucrative  branches  of  the  poultry  in- 
dustry. It  is  a  business,  however,  which  should  not  be  entered  into 
without  study  or  experience.  There  are  some  very  large  broiler 
ranches  in  the  neighborhood  of  Los  Angeles. 

The  ration  for  broilers  is  usually  that  given  for  chicks  till  they 
are  four  or  five  weeks  of  age,  when  they  are  finished  off  with  a 
fattening  ration  for  from  two  to  three  weeks.  The  average  cost 
of  raising  a  broiler  is  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  cents,  while  the  selling 
price  on  contract  is  from  fifty  to  sixty  cents  at  a  pound  and  a  half 
in  weight. 

By  using  the  ration  given  for  broilers  after  the  first  two  weeks, 
some  breeders  have  attained  the  weight  of  two  pounds  for  their 
broilers  at  six  weeks  of  age.  This  was  in  small  lots  of  twenty-five 
to  fifty  broilers  in  a  brooder.* 

'See  Page  36. 


SUMMER  WORK 

Summer  is  our  time  for  rest  from  hatching  and  now  our  energies 
must  be  directed  to  safely  carrying  through  the  summer  the  brooder 
chicks  and  helping  the  older  hens  to  shed  their  old  clothes  and  come 
out  in  fine  and  glossy  raiment  as  expeditiously  as  possible. 

Let  us  first  look  over  our  youngsters  and  see  how  we  can  keep 
them  growing.  They  need  a  motherly  and  watchful  eye  and  ear, 
and  a  watchful  nose  also,  as  much  as  children  do. 

Our  own  lives  are  made  up  of  little  things,  but  a  little  chick's 
life  is  made  up  of  infinitely  little  things  and  it  is  through  little 
things  that  success  is  attained  or  failure  courted.  "Be  sure  to  keep 
the  pullets  growing,"  was  the  vague  order  given  in  one  of  the  poul- 
try books  that  years  ago  I  was  studying.  The  author  did  not  tell 
how  to  keep  them  growing  nor  did  he  mention  what  would  prevent 
them  growing,  and  I  just  hated  that  man,  but  since  then  I  decided 
that,  poor  fellow,  he  most  likely  did  not  know  himself  and  was  only 
dealing  in  generalities  to  write  a  plausible  article  for  his  book  or 
paper  without  definitely  saying  anything.  But  he  was  right;  we 
must  keep  the  chickens  growing  and  at  the  first  indication  that  their 
growth  has  stopped  we  must  investigate  and  find  out  the  cause. 

What  are  the  chief  causes  of  chickens  not  doing  well  in  the  sum- 
mer? Lice  and  mites.  If  your  chickens  are  not  doing  well,  treat 
them  for  lice,  even  if  you  cannot  see  them,  and  give  their  house  a 
good  spraying  with  kerosine  emulsion  and  a  little  carbolic  acid. 

Comfort  and  proper  food  are  the  two  great  factors  that  will  pro- 
mote the  growth  of  our  chicks,  and  cleanliness  is  the  first  require- 
ment. The  drinking  vessels  at  this  season  of  the  year  require  spe- 
cial care ;  whatever  may  be  used  should  be  kept  scrupulously  clean. 
I  find  a  sink  brush  is  an  excellent  thing  for  scrubbing  out  the  drink- 
ing vessels.  They  must  be  kept  in  the  shade.  They  can  be  placed 
in  a  box  set  on  its  side  or  under  a  shed  or  tree,  and  besides  being 
shaded,  they  should  be  frequently  replenished  during  the  day. 

Sunshine  and  Shade 

Provide  shade  for  the  growing  chicks;  shade  from  the  burning 
rays  of  the  sun.  Nothing  is  more  conducive  to  health  than  sunshine, 
but  it  must  be  tempered  by  shade.  Trees  and  bushes  supply  the 
best  shade,  as  the  temperature  close  under  growing  green  leaves  is 
several  degrees  cooler  than  under  anything  that  is  dry  or  dead. 
Few  realize  what  a  necessity  shade  is  to  fowls. 

If  an  epidemic  siezes  the  half  grown  chicks,  it  is  attributed  to 
any  cause  on  earth  but  the  lack  of  shade,  when  in  very  many  cases 
this  is  the  sole  cause.  Vertigo,  blindness,  stunted  growth  may  all 
be  due  to  the  glare  of  the  sun  on  unsheltered  yards.  Shade  is  a 
necessity  and  if  trees  or  shrubs  are  lacking,  a  good  shelter  can  be 
made  by  driving  a  few  stakes  or  small  posts  into  the  ground  and 
making  a  frame  upon  which  palm  branches  or  brush  can  be  laid.  I 
have  found  a  very  serviceable  temporary  shade  can  be  made  by  rip- 
ping open  a  common  gunny  sack  and  nailing  four  laths  on  the 


82  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

edges.  This  little  frame  can  be  laid  across  the  top  of  a  small  pen  or 
even  hung  on  wire  fence  and  afford  a  grateful  shade. 

Overcrowding  or  the  chicks  huddling  for  even  one  night  may 
stunt  the  growth  or  be  the  means  of  bringing  on  an  epidemic  of 
colds  which  may  result  in  roup. 

But  how  to  stop  them  crowding?  A  mother  hen  often  solves  the 
difficulty  by  taking  the  half  grown  chicks  on  the  perch  with  her, 
but  for  brooder  chicks  some  other  plan  must  be  found ;  the  best 
way  is  to  divide  them  into  flocks  or  colonies  of  only  twenty-five  in 
each,  and  supply  comfortable  perches  for  them.  The  chicks  will  in 
a  short  time  take  to  the  perches  of  their  own  accord. 

At  one  time  I  had  not  enough  colony  coops  and  a  great  many 
chicks.  I  put  them  a  hundred  together  in  my  regular  henneries, 
but  they  crowded  and  I  not  only  was  losing  every  night  some  of 
the  best,  but  the  survivors  looked  very  badly.  They  sweat  off  in 
the  night  all  they  had  gained  during  the  day.  I  realized  that  this 
meant  failure  for  me  if  I  could  not  control  it.  I  spent  my  evenings 
going  around  and  patiently  placing  the  chicks,  hundreds  of  them, 
on  the  perches  till  I  was  completely  tired  out,  when  I  decided  to 
make  it  so  desperately  uncomfortable  for  them  they  could  not 
crowd. 

I  bought  a  bundle  of  six-foot  lath  and  made  a  lath  platform  or 
floor,  by  nailing  them  one  and  a  half  inches  apart,  the  width  of  a 
lath,  on  stringers  one  inch  by  three.  This  made  a  flooring  of  small 
lath  perches  three  inches  above  the  ground,  and  made  it  so  un- 
comfortable f©r  the  chicks  to  crowd  that  it  entirely  prevented  it. 
I  placed  regular  perches  four  or  five  inches  above  the  lath  floor  and 
in  a  few  nights  on  making  my  nightly  rounds  with  my  lantern,  I 
had  the  satisfaction  of  finding  all  the  chicks  on  the  regulation 
perches.  I  have  recommended  the  lath  platform  or  floor  to  many 
and  it  has  proved  always  successful. 

The  Proper  Range 

I  would  advise  you  to  let  the  young  chicks  have  free  range,  and 
when  the  pullets  begin  to  show  signs  of  maturing,  or  at  any  rate 
by  the  beginning  of  October,  to  put  them  into  their  permanent 
winter  quarters,  and  to  confine  them  so  they  will  be  under  your 
control.  They  will  lay  more  eggs  if  they  do  not  range  too  far.  It 
has  been  proved  many  times  and  with  different  breeds,  that  hens  in 
confinement  lay  more  eggs  than  those  that  run  at  large.  The  hens 
can  be  watched  better,  are  less  liable  to  suffer  from  maladies ;  the 
nests  can  be  kept  cleaner  and  the  eggs  gathered  more  easily,  while 
on  free  range  many  eggs  are  lost,  nests  stolen  and  the  hens  will 
acquire  the  habit,  which  we  are  breeding  out  of  them,  of  laying 
only  a  few  eggs  and  then  wanting  to  set. 

In  reply  to  the  question  of  pullets  or  hens,  the  rule  is  pullets  for 
winter  layers  and  hens  for  breeders.  The  reason  for  this  is  that 
pullets  in  most  breeds  give  more  eggs  than  hens,  and  also  usually 
do  not  want  to  sit  as  frequently,  while  the  hen  lays  a  larger  egg 
and  the  chicks  from  them  are  larger  and  sturdier  than  from  pullets. 
In  some  breeds  the  two-year-old  hen  lays  quite  as  well  as  pullets, 


SUMMER  WORK  83 

so  I  would  advise  you  to  save  two-year-old  hens  for  mothers,  for 
your  flock  next  year,  especially  if  they  are  pure  bred,  and  to  mate 
them  to  one  or  more,  according  to  the  number,  vigorous,  pure-bred 
cockerels.  You  had  better  sell  off  all  the  other  cockerels,  or  keep 
them  by  themselves  and  eat  them,  or  you  might  have  them  capon- 
ized,  if  you  can  find  anyone  to  do  it  for  you.  The  usual  price  for 
caponizing  is  from  five  to  ten  cents  per  head. 

Teaching  Them  to  Roost 

It  is  sometimes  difficult  to-  persuade  the  young  chickens  at  this 
time  of  the  year  (September),  when  moved  to  winter  quarters,  to 
go  into  the  coop  or  house,  which  they  should  occupy.  The  little 
perversities  insist  on  returning  to  the  place  where  their  mother 
has  raised  them,  or  they  will  huddle  together  on  the  ground,  while 
the  older  ones  fly  into  the  low  trees.  Night  after  night,  they  have  to 
be  carried  to  their  house.  I,  however,  have  found  that  by  driving 
them  gently  with  a  broom  for  two  or  at  most  three  nights,  they 
will  soon  learn  what  is  expected  of  them.  A  broom  is  by  far  the 
best  way  of  driving  chickens  without  frightening  them. 

A  broom  in  each  hand  is  the  best  way  of  driving  a  large  herd  of 
turkeys,  also,  by  gently  waving  them  on  each  side.  They  will  be 
afraid  of  the  broom,  but  never  become  wild  or  afraid  of  the  attend- 
ant in  this  way.  It  is  entirely  possible  to  drive  the  profits  out  of  a 
flock  of  hens  by  stoning  and  pelting  them  every  time  they  get  into 
mischief.  Be  quiet  in  your  manner  if  you  wish  to  be  successful 
with  hens.  Make  the  fowls  feel  that,  when  you  are  present  there 
is  a  protector  among  them,  not  something  that  is  likely  to  scare 
or  harm  them.  The  only  way  to  keep  your  fowls  on  good  terms 
with  you  is  by  keeping  them  tame  and  treating  them  in  a  common- 
sense  manner. 

The  Dry  Hopper 

In  the  matter  of  feeding  hens  on  a  farm,  I  would  much  prefer  the 
dry  hopper  method,  keeping  one  hopper  full  of  mixed  grains  and 
one  hopper  with  beef  scraps  or  granulated  milk,  and  letting  the 
fowls  have  free  range  until  it  is  time  to  put  them  in  their  winter 
quarters.  Then  instead  of  only  grain  in  the  hopper,  make  the  mix- 
ture of  bran,  corn  meal  and  alfalfa  meal,  or  take  one  of  the  good 
balanced  rations  sold  at  the  poultry  supply  houses  for  the  hopper. 
The  reason  for  this  change  which  should  be  made  gradually,  is  that 
the  fowls  being  confined,  do  not  get  the  exercise  and  consequently 
may  get  over  fat  from  eating  the  whole  grains,  while  the  finely 
ground  food  has  to  be  eaten  more  slowly.  For  fowls  in  confinement 
besides  the  hopper  or  finely  ground  feed,  they  should  have  a  scratch 
pen  in  which  the  grain  is  thrown  every  morning  for  them  to  scratch 
in.  This  will  give  them  the  exercise  which  they  would  otherwise 
miss  after  being  on  free  range  all  the  summer. 

After  getting  the  fowls  accustomed  to  their  winter  quarters,  you 
can,  if  you  wish,  let  them  out  for  two  hours  before  sun  down  to 
run  on  the  grass  or  green  winter  wheat,  or  alfalfa.  This  will  give 
them  a  little  exercise  and  change,  but  it  is  not  absolutely  necessary 


84  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

unless  quite  convenient.  Of  course,  they  must  be  supplied  with 
green  food  and  a  balanced  egg  ration. 

By  studying  the  scientific  and  practical  management  of  poultry 
and  remembering  the  three  conditions  of  egg  production,  comfort, 
exercise  and  the  proper  rations,  you  cannot  fail  to  make  a  success 
of  poultry  raising  on  your  farm. 

If  you  decide  upon  making  eggs  for  the  table  or  market  your 
principal  object,  I  would  strongly  recommend  you  to  have  an  egg 
route  in  your  nearest  city,  taking  the  eggs  in  yourself  to  special 
customers.  Your  surplus  fowls  you  could  also  dispose  of  to  private 
customers,  or  if  you  did  not  wish  to  have  the  trouble  of  dressing 
them,  you  could  send  them  to  one  of  the  markets.  There  are  so 
many  different  ways  of  making  money,  if  you  only  know  how. 
Study  that  way  and  give  your  customers  of  the  best.  You  will 
surely  make  a  success  of  it. 


Professor  Gowell's   Practical  and   Inexpensive   Trap   Nest 


THE  TRAP-NEST 

"We  are  extremely  new  to  the  business  of  scientific  poultry  rais- 
ing and  have  a  very  hazy  idea  of  some  of  it.  We  want  to  develop 
a  flock  of  heavy  layers  and  would  like  to  know  what  'trap-nesting' 
means  and  how  it  is  done."  These  words  from  one  of  my  corre- 
spondents suggested  a  talk  on  the  "trap-nest." 

Trap-nests  are  one  of  the  inventions  of  this  progressive  age.  It 
is  the  surest,  quickest  method  of  securing  better  eggs  and  more  of 
them.  A  trap-nest  is  a  nest  box,  the  entrance  to  which  closes  auto- 
matically when  the  hen  steps  into  the  nest  and  keeps  her  in  the  box 
until  the  person  in  charge  releases  her,  thus  showing  which  hen  laid 
the  egg. 

The  progressive  farmer  or  dairyman  knows  that  he  must  test  the 
milk  of  his  cows  and  he  finds  when  he  begins  to  do  so  that  he  has 
cows  in  his  herd  that  do  not  pay  for  their  keep.  It  is  the  same  in 
the  poultry  business ;  in  every  flock  of  hens  there  are  idlers  that  do 
not  pay  for  their  feed — they  lay  so  few  eggs  that  their  owners  are 
out  of  pocket  by  keeping  them.  I  would  not  have  believed  this  had 
I  not  discovered  it  to  be  the  case  with  some  of  my  own  hens.  The 
first  season  that  I  used  trap-nests  I  found  a  hen  which  went  on  the 
nest  every  day,  but  only  laid  four  eggs  in  one  month,  while  another 
in  the  same  yard  laid  twenty-nine.  It  was  a  revelation  to  me.  The 
first  year  I  discovered  that  nearly  one-fourth  of  my  hens  barely  paid 
for  their  board.  That  was  not  the  kind  of  hens  I  wanted.  I  was  in 
the  business  for  profit  and  not  loss,  so  I  weeded  them  out,  and  very 
good  eating  they  made. 

The  second  year  I  got,  with  a  reduced  flock,  a  twenty  per  cent 
less  feed  bill  and  fully  twenty-five  per  cent  increase  of  eggs — more 
eggs  at  less  cost.  Surely  the  trap-nests  repaid  me  for  the  slight 
extra  trouble  of  attending  to  them.  They  were  not  only  of  use  in 
discovering  the  best  layers,  but  I  became  better  acquainted  per- 
sonally with  each  hen.  I  found  that  the  hen  which  laid  the  most 
eggs  had  the  most  fertile  eggs,  while  the  poor  layers'  eggs  were  not 
nearly  so  fertile. 

Trap-nests  make  the  hens  tame  and  tame  hens  lay  more  eggs 
than  wild  hens.  Some  hens  may  at  first  object  to  being  handled, 
but  after  a  few  days  they  become  reconciled  to  it.  My  White 
Plymouth  Rocks  were  so  tame  that  when  I  opened  the  door  they 
would  step  into  my  hands  or  sit  quietly  until  I  lifted  them  up  to 
ascertain  the  numbers  of  their  leg-bands. 

In  order  to  make  the  use  of  the  trap-nests  efficient,  we  must  be 
able  to  know  each  hen  individually,  and  for  this  purpose  each  hen 
must  wear  a  leg-band,  a  small  bracelet,  made  of  copper  or  aluminum 
with  a  number  on  it. 

By  means  of  the  trap-nest  one  can  discover  any  hen  that  is  be- 
coming too  fat,  or  too  thin  and  she  can  be  moved  into  another  and 
more  suitable  pen.  The  trap-nest  also  renders  a  great  service  in 
detecting  the  egg  eater.  If  there  is  reason  to  suspect  a  certain  hen 
of  this  villainous  habit,  give  her  an  egg  while  she  is  on  the  nest ;  if 


86  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

the  egg  after  a  time  disappears  it  is  pretty  good  evidence  that  the 
culprit  has  been  discovered,  and  decapitation  should  be  the  verdict. 

Another  advantage  in  using  trap-nests  is  that  it  gives  one  an  op- 
portunity to  examine  the  hens  for  vermin,  and  by  taking  a  small 
can  of  insect  powder  around  occasionally  while  visiting  the  nests, 
and  powdering  the  hens,  they  can  be  kept  perfectly  clean  with 
very  little  trouble.  I  use  a  baking  powder  can,  having  perforated 
the  lid,  making  a  large  pepper  pot.  A  liberal  use  not  blown  on  out 
of  an  air  gun,  but  freely  peppered  on  the  hens,  is  very  beneficial. 

I  visit  the  nests  about  three  times  during  the  morning  to  release 
the  hens  and  gather  the  eggs.  One  trap-nest  is  required  for  every 
three  hens.  \Yhen  a  hen  is  taken  from  her  nest,  the  egg  is  marked 
with  her  leg-band  number  and  the  date  and  credit  is  given  her  on 
the  record  sheet  or  record  books.  This  is  a  sheet  or  page  marked 
off  in  squares  of  thirty-one  days  with  the  hen's  name  or  number  at 
the  head  of  the  line.  I  mark  B  for  broody,  S  for  sold,  M  for  mar- 
keting and  so  on,  and  have  in  this  way  the  history  of  each  hen  at  a 
glance. 

Trap-nests  have  taught  me  which  hens  lay  the  best  shaped  eggs, 
which  the  largest  size,  which  the  strongest  fertilized,  which  are  the 
best  winter  layers,  which  pullets  begin  early,  the  number  of  eggs 
they  lay  in  succession,  the  number  of  times  .they  become  broody 
and  many  other  facts  that  can  be  learned  in  no  other  way;  in  fact, 
I  find  my  records  exceedingly  interesting  and  profitable  reading. 
Trap-nests  were  a  perfect  revelation  to  me  and  aided  me  in  my  suc- 
cess with  poultry. 

There  are  a  number  of  trap-nest  plans,  also  trap-nests,  on  the 
market,  ranging  in  price  from  $1  to  $25.  I  have  bought  and  tried 
several,  and  find  that  the  most  satisfactory  trap-nest  is  one  that  has 
two  compartments  and  opens  in  the  front  to  take  the  hen  off.  In 
other  words,  it  must  be  comfortable  for  the  hen  and  convenient  for 
the  attendant. 

The  nest  box  here  described  was  made  by  G.  M.  Go  well,  agricul- 
turist of  the  Maine  experiment  station,  after  a  careful  study  of  the 
various  nest  boxes  on  the  market,  and  is  intended  to  combine  their 
excellences  and  avoid  their  defects. 

This  is  the  box  that  is  illustrated  here,  and  the  description  is  in 
Mr.  Gowell's  own  words :  The  nest  box  is  very  simple,  inexpensive, 
easy  to  attend  and  certain  in  its  action.  It  is  a  box-like  structure 
and  is  twenty-eight  inches  long,  thirteen  inches  wide,  and  thirteen 
inches  deep — inside  measurements.  A  division  board  with  a  circu- 
lar opening  seven  and  one-half  inches  in  diameter  is  placed  across 
the  box  twelve  inches  from  the  back  end.  The  back  end  is  the  nest 
proper.  Instead  of  a  close  door  at  the  entrance,  a  light  frame  of 
inch  by  inch-and-a-half  stuff  is  covered  with  wire  netting  of  one- 
half  inch  mesh.  The  doOr  is  ten  and  one-half  inches  wide  and  ten 
inches  high,  and  does  not  fill  the  entire  entrance,  a  space  of  two  and 
one-half  inches  being  left  at  the  bottom  and  one  and  one-half  inches 
at  the  top,  with  a  good  margin  at  the  sides  to  avoid  friction.  If  it 
filled  the  entire  space  it  would  be  clumsy  in  its  action.  It  is  hinged 


THE  TRAP-NEST  87 

at  the  top  and  opens  up  into  the  box.  'The  hinges  are  placed  on  the 
front  of  the  door  rather  than  at  the  back  or  center,  the  better  to 
secure  complete  closing  action. 

The  "trip"  consists  of  one  piece  of  wire  about  three-sixteenths  of 
an  inch  in  diameter  and  eighteen  and  one-half  inches  long,  bent  as 
shown  in  drawing.  A  piece  of  board  six  inches  wide  and  just  long 


A  Group  of  Four  Trap  Nests  in  Position 

enough  to  reach  across  the  box  inside  is  nailed  flatwise  in  front  of 
the  partiton  and  one  inch  below  the  top  of  the  box,  a  space  of  one- 
fourth  on  an  inch  being  left  between  the  edge  of  the  board  and  the 
partition.  The  purpose  of  this  board  is  only  to  support  the  trip 
wire  in  place.  The  six-inch  section  of  the  trip  wire  is  placed  across 
the  board  and  the  wire  slipped  through  the  quarter-inch  slot  and 
passed  down,  close  to  and  in  front  of  the  center  of  the  seven  and 
one-half  inch  circular  opening.  Small  wire  staples  are  driven  nearly 
down  over  the  six-inch  section  of  the  wire  into  the  board  so  as*  to 
hold  it  in  place  and  yet  let  it  roll  sidewise  easily.  When  the  door 
is  set,  the  half-inch  section  of  the  wire  marked  "A"  comes  under  a 
hardwood  peg,  or  a  tack  with  a  large  round  head,  which  is  driven 
into  the  lower  edge  of  the  door  frame.  The  hen  passes  in  through 
the  circular  opening  and  in  doing  so  presses  the  wire  to  one  side  and 
the  trip  slips  from  its  connection  with  the  door.  The  door  promptly 


88  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

swings  down  and  fastens  itself  in  place  by  its  lower  edge  strik- 
ing the  light  end  of  a  wooden  latch  or  lever,  pressing  it  down  and 
slipping  over  it.  The  latch  is  five  inches  long,  one  inch  wide  and 


half  an  inch  thick.  The  latch  acts  quickly  enough  to  catch  the  door 
before  it  rebounds.  The  double  box  with  nest  in  the  rear  end  is 
necessary,  as  when  a  bird  has  laid  and  desires  to  leave  the  nest,  she 
steps  to  the  front  and  remains  there  until  released. 

With  one  section  only,  she  would  be  very  likely  to  crush  her  egg 
by  standing  upon  it. 

The  boxes,  which  have  no  tops,  are  arranged  in  cases  in  groups 
of  four  and  slide  in  and  out  like  drawers.  They  may,  of  course,  be 
used  singly  by  simply  providing  a  cover  for  each  box.  When  a 
hen  has  layed,  the  nest  is  pulled  part  way  out  or  the  cover  lifted,  as 
the  case  may  be,  and  the  hen  removed. 

I  have  made  nest  boxes  myself  from  these  plans.  I  used  wooden 
shoe  boxes  or  cracker  boxes,  and  easily  made  two  in  a  morning.  The 
wire  was  a  little  difficult  to  bend,  but  a  boy  did  it  for  me.  One 
word  of  caution :  It  is  well  to  have  nests  enough,  because  the  hens 
must  be  coaxed  to  lay,  and  when  they  get  ready,  they  must  not  be 
kept  waiting.  If  a  hen  is  dissatisfied  with  her  nest  she  may  hold  her 
egg  for  twenty-four  hours  and  in  time  be  taught  to  lay  only  every 
other  day.  It  is  wise  to  encourage  the  hens  to  lay  and  I  have  found 
these  trap-nests  so  cleverly  invented  by  Mr.  Gowell  are  much  liked 
by  the  hens,  while  others  I  bought  frightened  the  hens  and  pre- 
vented their  laying.  They  were  enclosed  on  the  nest,  pushing  their 
heads  out  and  trampling  on  the  eggs,  breaking  some  and  entirely 
defeating  the  object  of  the  nest,  which  is  "more  eggs  and  better 
hens." 


GRIT  AND  GIZZARD 

One  of  the  most  important  things  necessary  for  the  health  of 
poultry  is  a  supply  of  grit  of  the  right  kind.  Nature  provides  a  use 
for  every  organ  of  the  body,  and  in  every  body  an  organ  for  each 
specific  duty.  Most  animals  are  provided  with  teeth  to  enable  them 
to  prepare  their  food  for  the  action  of  the  fluids  secreted  by  the 
stomach,  pancreas  and  liver.  It  will  also  be  remembered  that  be- 
sides being  crushed  in  the  mouth  by  the  teeth,  the  food  is  acted 
on  by  the  saliva. 

Nature  has  not  endowed  birds  with  teeth,  but  it  has  provided  a 
goDd  substitute  in  the  gizzard.  This  is  a  tough,  strong,  muscular 
organ,  so  situated  in  the  body  that  all  food  taken  into  the  mouth 
must  pass  through  it.  Previous  to  passing  through  the  gizzard, 
all  food  has  been  received  into  a  pouch  or  bag,  the  crop,  where  it  re- 
mains some  time.  There  it  is  soaked  with  and  acted  upon  by  a  fluid 
secreted  in  and  by  this  pouch,  and  a  modified  process  takes  place 
similar  to  that  of  the  saliva  in  the  mouth  of  animals  with  teeth. 

The  food  gradually  leaves  this  pouch  (the  crop),  passes  through 
the  proventriculus  and  into  the  gizzard,  where  it  is  ground  up,  and 
thence  it  goes  to  the  intestines,  where,  after  being  mixed  with  other 
fluids,  it  passes  on  and  the  nutriment  is  absorbed.  No  doubt  a 
bird  may  be  made  to  exist  for  a  time,  perhaps  a  considerable  time, 
without  grit,  just  as  a  person  may  live  for  years  with  bad*  teeth, 
or  perhaps  with  none  at  all.  We  all  know  how  little  such  people 
enjoy  their  food  or  health,  and  surely  if  the  birds  do  not  have  the 
means  of  masticating  their  food  they  can  neither  be  healthy  nor 
enjoy  their  food,  and  will  not  give  their  owners  a  good  return  for 
their  food  and  care. 

.     The  Best  Grit 

The  gizzard  is  a  marvelously  strong  little  mill  and  when  pro- 
vided with  the  proper  grit,  or  little  grindstones,  will  keep  the  fowls 
in  good  condition.  Hard,  sharp  substances  are  necessary,  such  as 
flint  stones  or  granite  pounded  up.  Broken  china,  earthenware, 
glass  and  all  such  substances  broken  up  make  excellent  grit. 

When  the  grit  has  not  sharp  edges,  the  harder  parts  of  the  food 
are  not  digested,  husks  and  green  food  accumulate  and  frequently 
cause  a  stoppage  between  the  crop  and  the  gizzard,  so  that  nothing 
but  liquid  can  pass.  A  lack  of  sharp  grit  brings  on  diarrhoea ;  also, 
the  gall  overflows  and  sometimes  the  gall-sack  bursts.  There  are 
two  passages,  one  into,  and  the  other  out  of  the  gizzard ;  they  are 
both  on  one  side  of  it.  The  one  leading  out  of  it  is  much  smaller 
than  the  one  leading  into  it.  Thus  the  gizzard  can  receive  larger 
substances  but  cannot  get  rid  of  them  until  they  are  ground  small ; 
and  sharp  grit  is  needed  for  this. 

When  I  first  came  to  California  I  purchased  a  grist  mill  and,  alas, 
I  had  broken  china  also !  I  had  two  dozen  hens  just  bought  and 
proceeded  to  grind  up  some  crockery  for  them.  The  man  who  was 
building  my  fence  thought  it  dreadfully  cruel  of  me,  remarking,  "It's 
enough  to  kill  a  dog;  let  alone  those  poor  hens."  "The  hens  will  not 


90  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

eat  it  unless  they  need  it,"  was  my  reply,  though  I  agreed  with  him 
about  the  dog.  To  his  surprise  those  hens  ate  almost  a  quart  of  it. 
None  of  them  died  and  they  soon  commenced  to  lay.  Give  the  little 
chicks  the  small  chick-grit.  Eight  pounds  of  this  will  be  sufficient 
for  the  first  two  months  of  the  life  of  fifty  little  chicks  and  then 
they  should  have  a  larger  size.  One  hundred  pounds  of  hen  grit, 
which  can  be  bought  at  the  poultry  supply  houses,  is  sufficient  to 
last  a  hundred  hens  about  a  year. 

Pigeons  consume  more  grit  than  hens,  proportionately  to  size. 
Give  pigeons  grit  to  keep  them  healthy.  My  attention  to  grit  and 
gizzards  was  aroused  many  years  ago.  "Will  madame  look  to 
what  I  have  found  in  the  interior  of  this  fowl?"  said  my  French 
maid  to  me.  She  had  opened  the  gizzard  of  a  fat  young  hen  and 
had  found  thirteen  china  buttons  and  two  pearl  buttons  or  parts  of 
them,  mixed  with  the  black  adobe  mud.  Since  that  day  I  have  tried 
to  keep  my  fowls  well  supplied  with  grit. 

Starve  for  Lack  of  Grit 

"I  cannot  think  what  ails  my  fowls,"  said  one  lady.  "They  have 
all  the  food  they  can  eat,  but  here  is  another  dead."  "Have  you  ever 
opened  one  to  discover  the  trouble?"  I  asked.  "Yes,  but  I  never 
find  anything."  "Well,  I  think  your  fowls  have  indigestion,"  I 
said,  "but  we  will  hold  a  post  mortem  on  this  one  and  try  to  solve 
the  difficulty."  We  found  a  medium  sized  gizzard,  full  of  dark 
earth,  no  stones,  no  grit,  not  even  buttons.  That  told  the  story, 
the  fowls  were  starving  to  death  in  the  midst  of  plenty  just  for  lack 
of  grit  to  grind  their  food. 

I  occasionally  make  curious  discoveries  when  I  hold  a  post  mor- 
tem, for  the  contents  of  a  school  boy's  pockets  are  scarcely  more 
varied  than  those  of  a  fowl's  gizzard,  when  not  supplied  with  the 
proper  kind  of  grit.  My  Indian  Runner  ducks,  being  great  pets  and 
never  doing  any  mischief,  were  allowed  the  freedom  of  my  place. 
I  had  noticed  them  around  the  out-door  fireplace  where  the  caul- 
dron was  boiled,  old  boxes,  building  scrap  and  rubbish  being  used 
for  the  fire. 

I  thought  the  ducks  were  picking  up  bits  of  charcoal,  but  one 
morning  I  found  a  fine  duck  dead.  The  post  mortem  revealed  an 
enormous  gizzard,  twice  the  usual  size,  on  opening  which  I  found 
a  number  of  nails,  some  bits  of  wire,  two  two-pointed  tacks.  Sev- 
eral of  the  nails  were  embedded  in  the  gizzard  and  the  largest  one 
pierced  quite  through  it.  The  ducks  had  always  been  supplied  with 
plenty  of  river  sand,  but  this  particular  duck  seemed  to  have  de- 
veloped an  ostrich's  appetite.  After  that  I  gave  them  also  the 
smaller  chick  grit  and  with  most  excellent  results,  for  never  ducks 
laid  as  many  eggs  as  did  those.  Grit,  oyster  shells,  or  clam  shells, 
and  charcoal  are  indispensable  for  fowls. 

The  Symptons  of  Grit  Craving 

When  your  hens  seem  "mopey"  just  break  up  some  old  china, 
and  see  if  they  will  not  refuse  the  best  food  for  it. 

When  you  see  water  run  from  a  hen's  mouth,  when  she  puts 


GRIT  AND  GIZZARD  91 

her  head  down,  the  trouble  is  indigestion.  Give  her  grit  and  char- 
coal. 

When  your  hens  do  not  care  for  their  food,  tone  dp  their  appe- 
tites by  a  dose  of  grit. 

When  they  are  not  laying  as  well  as  you  think  they  should,  give 
them  grit. 

When  hens  moult  slowly,  it  is  often  from  impaired  digestion. 
Give  them  grit  and  charcoal. 

When  you  want  the  hens  to  derive  all  the  benefit  of  the  nutrition 
in  the  food,  supply  them  with,  good,  sharp  grit. 

If  you  want  vigorous,  profitable  hens,  give  them  a  liberal  supply 
of  grit. 

When  your  hens  are  too  fat,  when  they  lay  thin  shelled  eggs, 
give  them  grit. 

A  friend  of  mine  was  very  much  troubled  with  soft-shelled  eggs. 
She  got  her  husband  to  take  his  wagon  to  the  hills,  where  there  is 
a  good  quarry  of  what  is  called  rotten  granite.  He  brought  home 
a  load  of  it,  and  in  a  few  days  the  hens  laid  hard  shelled  eggs  and 
she  told  me  that  the  shells  were  so  hard  that  the  chicks  could  hardly 
break  out  of  them. 

The  value  of  good  sharp  grit  can  scarcely  be  overestimated,  and 
yet  even  intelligent  people  do  not  realize  it.  Some  think  that  there 
is  grit  enough  in  the  natural  soil.  This  is  rarely  the  case,  for  hens, 
wild  birds,  or  pigeons  pick  up  the  sharpest  and  best  grit,  so  that 
even  on  a  farm  where  the  hens  have  free  range  there  is  rarely 
enough  grit  of  the  proper  kind,  and  when  fowls  are  kept  yarded 
there  is  never  enough  unless  they  are  artificially  supplied.  If  you 
doubt  this,  try  the  experiment  of  giving  your  hens  some  broken 
china.  The  pieces  should  not  be  larger  than  a  pea  and  should  have 
three  sharp  corners.  You  will  be  surprised  to  see  how  eagerly  the 
hens  will  eat  the  china. 

The  best  layer  I  ever  had  laid  225  eggs  in  nine  months  and 
moulted  during  that  time.  She  was  the  greatest  eater  of  grit  I 
ever  saw.  Every  night  before  going  to  roost  she  ran  down  to  the 
grit  box  and  took  three  pieces.  Every  time  she  laid  an  egg  she 
refreshed  herself  with  some  grit,  and  I  learned  by  observation  that 
all  my  best  layers  were  the  most  constant  visitors  to  the  grit  box. 
Hens  that  consume  the  most  grit  are  those  that  get  the  most  nutri- 
tion out  of  their  food,  lay  the  most  eggs,  are  the  healthiest,  have  the 
most  fertile  eggs  and  pay  the  best. 

Grit  to  grind  the  food  and  charcoal  to  keep  it  pure  during  this 
process  and,  for  laying  hens,  oyster  shells  to  supply  the  lime  for 
the  eggshells,  these  are  so  necessary  that  we  are  almost  tired  of 
the  mention  of  them  in  the  poultry  papers,  but  "lest  we  forget"  I 
have  written  about  them  again. 


PESTS  OF  A  POULTRY  YARD 

Fleas 

The  common  hen  flea  (pulex  avium)  is  prevalent  in  the  Pacific 
States.  It  is  found  in  filthy  hen  houses,  especially  those  located 
on  sandy  soil.  Dirty  nests,  cracks,  dust  and  dark  corners  are  fav- 
orite breeding  places  for  them.  They  produce  great  irritation  of 
the  skin  and  in  young  birds  the  growth  may  be  permanently  stunted 
and  many  young  chickens  killed  by  them. 

For  treating  flea  bites,  bathe  the  bites  with  vinegar  and  water,  or 
lemon  juice,  and  apply  carbolated  vaseline  or  lard  in  which  a  little 
carbolic  acid  has  been  mxed — 5  drops  of  carbolic  acid  (90  per  cent) 
to  a  tablespoonful  of  lard. 

To  free  poultry  houses  and  yards  of  the  fleas,  use  whitewash 
freely,  adding  a  pint  of  carbolic  acid  to  every  twelve  gallons  of 
whitewash.  Spray  it  or  slop  it  thoroughly  into  all  the  corners  and 
cracks.  Dark  dusty  places  in  the  poultry  yard  afford  favorable 
breeding  places  for  fleas.  These  corners  should  be  soaked  with 
hot  soapsuds  or  boiling  salt  water  to  kill  the  young  broods  of  fleas. 
Use  carbolized  lime,  tobacco  dust  and  moth  balls  in  the  nests. 

Bedbugs  and  Ticks 

Bedbugs  sometimes  attack  poultry  on  their  roosts  and  suck  their 
blood.  In  California  there  is  also  a  species  of  tick  that  is  fatal  to 
poultry  which  somewhat  resembles  the  bedbug  of  the  East.  To 
destroy  them  fumigation  is  usually  employed,  either  fumigating 
with  sulphur,  or,  better  still,  the  cyanide  process  used  for  the  scale 
on  citrus  trees. 

To  fumigate  with  sulphur  close  every  door  and  window  and  see 
that  there  are  no  cracks  to  admit  the  air.  Burn  one  pound  of  sul- 
phur for  every  100  square  feet  of  floor  space  in  the  house.  A  house 
10x10  will  require  one  pound  of  sulphur;  one  20x10,  two  pounds, 
and  so  on.  The  sulphur  must  be  burned  in  iron  vessels  which 
should  be  set  on  gravel  or  sand  so  there  may  be  no  danger  from 
fire.  Into  each  vessel  put  a  handful  of  carpenter  shavings  saturated 
with  kerosene  and  upon  these  sprinkle  the  sulphur.  Apply  a 
match  to  the  shavings  and  hastily  leave  the  house,  closing  the  door. 
The  house  should  remain  closed  for  5  hours.  Fumigation  may  be 
followed  by  thoroughly  whitewashing  the  inside  of  the  house. 
Painting  or  spraying  the  house  with  corrosive  sublimate  is  also 
very  effective.  Care  must  be  used  in  handling  this  poison. 

Mites 

There  are  several  varieties  of  the  tiny  blood-sucking  mites  to  be 
found  in  carelessly  kept  henneries.  The  red  mite  is  the  most  com- 
mon and  active  of  all  parasites  which  attack  birds.  It  is  about  one 
thirty-fifth  of  an  inch  in  length,  white  or  grey  in  color,  except  when 
filled  with  blood,  when  they  will  be  red  or  black.  It  hides  by  day 
in  the  corners  and  crevices  of  buildings,  nests,  perches,  floors,  etc., 
where  they  may  be  found  in  clusters.  At  night  these  clusters  scat- 


PESTS  OF  A  POULTRY  YARD  93 

ter  over  the  birds  and  by  pricking  the  skin  can  fill  themselves  with 
blood.  They  are  injurious  not  only  on  account  of  the  blood  they 
draw,  but  because  of  the  itching  pain  and  loss  of  rest.  They  will 
even  kill  young  fowls  and  setting  hens.  When  they  are  discovered 
vigorous  means  should  be  adopted  to  get  rid  of  them.  The  Iowa 
State  Experiment  Station  gives  a  full  description  of  the  best  and 
cheapest  way  of  exterminating  these  mites.  At  this  station  the 
kerosene  emulsion  was  found  to  be  perfectly  effective  in  killing 
them.  It  is  made  as  follows : 

KEROSENE  EMULSION— In  one  gallon  of  boiling  water  dis- 
solve one  pound  bar  of  soap  or  one  pound  of  soap  powder.  Remove 
from  the  fire,  add  immediately  one  gallon  of  kerosene,  churn  or  agi- 
tate violently  for  ten  minutes,  or  until  the  solution  becomes  like  a 
thick  cream.  If  the  oil  and  water  separate  on  standing,  then  the 
soap  was  not  caustic  enough.  Take  one  quart  of  this,  add  to  it  ten 
quarts  of  water ;  spray  thoroughly  the  houses  every  three  days  with 
this  diluted  emulsion  until  all  the  mites  are  exterminated.  To  make 
it  more  effective,  you  may  add  one  pint  of  crude  carbolic  acid  to  the 
emulsion  as  soon  as  taken  from  the  fire.  The  diluted  emulsion  (one 
part  to  ten  of  water)  is  also  used  to  rid  fowls  of  lice.  By  using  this 
spray  once  a  month  always,  the  houses  can  be  kept  perfectly  free 
from  vermin  and  thoroughly  disinfected  from  disease. 

Lice 

There  are  nine  varieties  of  lice  affecting  poultry.  Some  of  these 
lice  spread  rapidly.  One  infested  bird  is  capable  of  spreading  the 
vermin  through  a  large  flock.  They  cause  dumpishness,  drooping 
wings,  indifference  to  food  and  may  stunt  or  even  kill  the  chicks. 
One  of  the  best  means  of  preventing  lice  is  the  dust  bath.  This 
bath  should  be  a  wallow  of  freshly  turned  earth,  mellow  and 
slightly  damp,  out  of  doors  under  some  tree  in  the  summer  time,  or 
in  a  box  six  or  eight  inches  deep  in  the  hennery  in  the  rainy  weather. 
Provided  with  a  good  dust  bath,  healthy  hens  will  almost  keep 
themselves  clean  from  lice.  When  fowls  are  badly  infested  with 
lice  they  should  be  well  dusted  with  a  good  lice  powder,  of  which 
there  are  a  number  on  the  market.  Two  good  powders  can  be 
made  as  follows:  To  one  peck  of  sifted  coal  ashes  add  one-half 
ounce  of  90  per  cent  carbolic  acid.  When  mixed  thoroughly,  add  an 
equal  amount  of  tobacco  dust.  2nd :  Take  half  peck  of  sifted  road- 
dust,  four  fluid  ounces  of  any  good  liquid  lice  killer;  mix  thoroughly 
and  add  bulk  for  bulk  of  tobacco  dust. 

The  roosts  may  be  painted  with  liquid  lice  killer,  or  the  fowls 
placed  in  a  box  for  three  hours,  the  floor  of  which  has  been  painted 
with  lice  killer  and  the  top  covered  with  burlap,  care  being  taken 
not  to  smother  the  hen.  The  nits  of  lice  hatch  about  every  five 
days.  The  treatment  should  be  repeated  until  all  the  young  lice 
have  been  exterminated. 

How  to  Keep  Poultry  Free  from  Lice 

The  following  formula  is  used  at  the  Maine  and  Cornell  Ex- 
periment Stations : 


94  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

Take  three  parts  of  gasoline,  one  part  of  crude  carbolic  acid. 
Mix  these  together  and  add  gradually,  while  stirring,  enough  plas- 
ter of  Paris  to  take  up  all  the  moisture,  the  liquid  and  the  dry 
plaster  should  be  thoroughly  mixed  and  stirred,  so  that  the  liquid 
will  be  uniformally  distributed  through  the  mass  of  plaster.  When 
enough  plaster  has  been  added,  the  resulting  mixture  should  be  a 
dry,  pinkish  brown  powder,  having  a  fairly  strong  carbolic  odor 
and  a  rather  less  pronounced  gasoline  odor. 

Do  not  use  more  plaster,  in  mixing,  than  is  necessary  to  blot 
up  the  liquid.  This  powder  is  to  be  worked  into  the  feathers 
of  the  bird  affected  with  vermin.  The  bulk  of  the  application 
should  be  in  the  fluff  around  the  vent  and  under  the  wings.  Its 
efficiency  can  be  very  easily  demonstrated  by  anyone  to  his  own 
satisfaction.  Take  a  bird  that  is  covered  with  lice  and  apply  the 
powder  in  the  manner  described.  After  a  lapse  of  about  a  minute, 
shake  the  bird,  .lessening  its  feathers  with  the  fingers  at  the  same 
time,  over  a  clean  piece  of  paper.  Dead  and  dying  lice  will  drop  on 
the  paper  in  great  numbers.  Anyone  who  will  try  this  experiment 
will  have  no  further  doubt  of  the  wonderful  efficiency  and  value  of 
this  powder. 

For  a  Spray  or  Paint 

To  be  applied  to  roosting  boards,  walls  and  floor  of  the  hen 
house,  the  following  preparation  is  used : 

Three  parts  of  kerosene  and  one  part  crude  carbolic  acid.  This 
is  stirred  up  when  used  and  may  be  applied  with  any  of  the  hand 
spray  pumps  or  with  a  brush. 

In  both  of  these  formulae  it  is  highly  important  that  crude  car- 
bolic acid  be  used,  instead  of  the  purified  product.  Be  sure  and 
insist  on  getting  crude  carbolic  acid.  It  is  a  dark  brown,  dirty 
looking  liquid  and.  its  value  depends  on  the  fact  that  it  contains 
tar  oil  and  tar  bases  in  addition  to  the  pure  phenol  (carbolic  acid). 


DISEASES  OF  POULTRY 

There  is  no  reason  for  chickens  being  unhealthy  except,  as  a 
general  thing,  from  the  carelessness  or  ignorance  of  their  owners. 
Carelessness  in  not  keeping  the  fowls  clean,  in  not  being  regular  in 
their  feeding,  in  the  lack  of  pure  water  and  shade  and  in  giving  them 
either  draughty  sleeping  quarters  or  too  close  and  badly  ventilated 
coops. 

Poultry  keepers  in  the  East,  after  years  of  trouble  and  anxiety 
over  roup,  which  I  really  think  is  much  worse  there  than  here,  are 
coming  to  the  conclusion  that  open  front  houses  even  there  where 
they  have  zero  weather,  will  prevent  roup  and  colds. 

Here  in  our  favored  climate,  open  front  houses,  cleanliness  and 
plenty  of  green  food  are  a  sure  prevention  of  roup. 

I  am  glad  to  be  able  to  say  that  although  there  are  more  than 
double  the  number  of  pure  bred  fowls  in  California  now  than  ever 
before,  there  is  a  minimum  amount  of  roup.  Poultry  raisers  are 
using  common  sense  in  the  feeding  and  care  of  chickens,  looking 
upon  poultry  raising  as  a  business,  a  money  proposition,  when 
handled  in  a  business-like  way,  and  the  result  is  very  little  roup 
and  less  sickness  of  any  kind. 

Roup  must  be  transmitted  by  contagion ;  healthy  fowls  will  not 
have  it  unless  a  roupy  fowl  is  introduced  into  the  flock,  or  the  in- 
fection is  brought  in  through  water  or  food,  through  coops  in  which 
roupy  fowls  have  been  confined  or  through  the  infection  being 
carried  on  the  garments  of  the  attendant. 

Many  Kinds  of  Roup 

It  was  formerly  the  custom  to  call  nearly  all  the  ailments  of 
fowls  due  to  taking  cold  by  the  name  of  "Roup."  Dr.  Salmon  of 
the  Bureau  of  Animal  Industry,  Washington,  D.  C,  makes  a  dis- 
tinction, however,  between  the  different  kinds  of  colds  or  roup, 
simple  catarrh  and  infectious  catarrh,  also  called  roupy  catarrh,  and 
diphtheric  catarrh  or  diphtheric  roup.  Simple  catarrh  is  easily 
cured,  will  often  get  well  without  treatment;  roupy  catarrh  is  very 
infectious  and  more  difficult  to  cure ;  but  diphtheric  roup  is  the 
worst  of  all  and  greatly  resembles  the  diphtheria  of  children.  There 
is  also  another  disease  called  "Canker"  which  much  resembles 
diphtheric  roup,  but  is  less  severe.  It  is  caused  by  another  germ 
and  needs  other  treatment. 

Catarrh 

All  of  these  diseases  commence  in  the  same  manner.  Usually 
the  first  symptoms  noticed  are  a  slight  discharge  from  the  nostrils, 
eyes  wet  and  watery  from  mucus,  and  often  some  bubbling  at  the 
corners  with  coughing  and  sneezing.  In  simple  catarrh  more  seri- 
ous symptoms  will  not  have  developed  in  a  few  days,  but  with 
roupy  catarrh  the  discharge  thickens  and  obstructs  the  breathing 
by  filling  the  nostrils  and  there  is  a  foul  odor  to  it.  Sometimes 
swell  head  develops,  then  one  or  both  eyes  are  closed,  the  birds 
wipe  their  eyes  on  their  shoulders,  sleep  with  their  heads  under 


96  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

their  wings  and  the  discharge  sticks  to  and  dries  on  their  feathers. 
This  dried  mucus  will  spread  the  disease  through  the  flock,  for  in  it 
are  the  germs  of  the  disease,  the  seeds  of  which  may  be  sown  when- 
ever the  chicken  moves  or  shakes  itself,  or  when  others  touch  it  or 
a  feather  falls.  Chickens  with  this  disease  should  be  isolated,  the 
mucus  gently  washed  off,  using  a  disinfectant  in  the  water,  a  few 
drops  of  carbolic  acid  or  a  tablet  of  protiodide  of  mercury  in  a  pint 
of  water.  Roupy  catarrh  is  difficult  of  cure,  is  very  infectious  and 
often  fatal. 

Diphtheric  Roup 

Diphtheric  roup  is  the  worst  of  all.  It  requires  different  reme- 
dies to  the  simple  catarrh  or  roupy  catarrh.  It  commences  usually 
in  the  same  manner  with  a  slight  cold,  but  the  mucus  membrane  of 
the  mouth,  throat,  nasal  passages,  and  the  eyes  are  affected.  False 
membrane  forms  on  these  parts,  very  much  resembling  in  appear- 
ance the  diphtheria  of  children,  and  by  some  thought  to  be  the 
same.  At  first  the  patches  are  small  and  scattered  but  have  a  tend- 
ency to  run  together.  The  disease  appears  suddenly,  the  fowl  is 
feverish,  dumpish  and  disinclined  to  eat.  As  the  disease  progresses 
the  mouth  and  throat  become  filled  with  false  membrane  and 
mucus  until  the  fowl  dies  of  suffocation,  or  the  poison  from  the 
disease  gets  into  the  circulation  and  the  fowl  dies  of  blood  poison- 
ing or  paralysis. 

Canker 

Canker  is  sometimes  confounded  with  diphtheria.  It  is  an  ulcer- 
ative  disease  of  the  mouth.  It  is  frequently  found  in  cock  birds  after 
fighting  and  is  common  in  birds  that  have  been  working  in  mouldy 
or  musty  litter  or  that  have  been  fed  on  spoiled  grain.  The  disease 
is  seldom  noticed  until  the  fowl  shows  a  collection  of  yellowish 
ulcers  or  cheesy  growth  on  the  roof  of  the  mouth,  the  side  of  the 
tongue  or  the  angles  of  the  jaws,  and  sometimes  at  the  opening  of 
the  windpipe.  It  is  very  common  among  pigeons. 

Roup  cures  can  be  bought  at  the  principal  poultry  supply  houses, 
but  for  the  use  of  those  living  in  the  country  too  far  away  to  pro- 
cure these,  I  will  give  a  few  simple  remedies  that  can  be  easily  and 
quickly  used  in  the  first  stages,  thus  arresting  an  epidemic.  For 
local  treatment  a  good  atomizer  is  the  most  satisfactory  way  of  ap- 
plying it,  or  a  small  syringe,  and  as  handy  as  anything  is  a  small 
sewing  machine  oil  can. 

Remedies 

(1)  When  first  the  cold  is  noticed,  put  a  bit  of  Bluestone  (sul- 
phate of  copper)  in  the  drinking  water.     A  piece  as  big  as  a  navy 
bean  in  a  quart  of  water,  not  any  stronger.     This  is  a  germ  killer, 
dries  up  the  cold  in  the  head,  is  a  disinfectant  and  will  prevent  the 
other  chickens  taking  the  disease.     So  if  any  chick  takes  cold,  put 
this  into  the  water  of  the  whole  flock  for  a  week  to  prevent  the 
disease  spreading. 

(2)  For  a  Common  Cold :  A  pill  of  quinine  and  one  of  asafoetida 
(1  gr.  of  each),  with  half  a  teaspoonful  of  cayenne  pepper  will  fre- 
quently cure  a  cold  in  one  night.    Aconite  also  is  a  good  remedy. 


DISEASES  OF  POULTRY  97 

One  drop  in  a  teaspoonful  of  milk.    Always  give  a  grown  hen  the 
same  dose  as  to  adult  human  beings. 

The  following  are  cures  for  Roupy  Catarrh : 

(3)  One  tablespoonful  of  castor  oil,  half  a  tablespoonful  tur- 
pentine, a  tablespoonful  of  kerosene,  a  tablespoonful  of  camphor- 
ated oil  and  four  drops  of  carbolic  acid.    Shake  before  using.    Squirt 
a  drop  up  each  nostril  and  into  the  cleft  of  the  mouth,  and  for  swell 
head  rub  the  whole  head  with  it.     This  is  an  excellent  cure  and 
cheap. 

(4)  Put  one  cupful  of  kerosene  in  half  a  gallon  of  water;  the 
oil  will  float  on  top;  dip  the  fowl's  head  slowly  into  this,  holding  it 
under  whilst  you  count  three.     It  will  sneeze  and  cough  and  you 
must  wipe  off  all  the  mucus  with  a  rag  and  carefully  burn  the  rag. 
Repeat  the  treatment  twice  a  day. 

(5)  Take  of  lard  two  tablespoonsful ;  vinegar,  mustard,  cayenne 
pepper,  each  one  tablespoonful ;  mix  thoroughly,  add  flour  enough 
to  make  a  stiff  dough.     Give  a  bolus  of  this  the  size  of  the  first 
joint  of  the  little  finger.    One  dose  frequently  cures.    If  not,  repeat 
in  twelve  or  twenty-four  hours. 

(6)  Dr.  N.  W.  Sanborn  gives  as  a  remedy :  "Spray  all  mucus 
surfaces  with  the  following:  Extract  of  Witch  Hazel,  four  table- 
spoonsful  ;  liquid  carbolic  acid,  four  drops ;  water,  two  tablespoons- 
ful.    Do  this  twice  a  day,  squeezing  the  bulb  of  the  atomizer  five 
times  for  each  nostril  and  twice  for  the  mouth.     If  there  is  any 
watery  or  foamy  eyes,  give  one  squeeze  for  each. 

(7)  One  part  of  pulverized  gum  camphor  and  seven  parts  of 
pulverized  liquorice  root.     Blow  up  the  nostrils,  into  the  cleft  of 
the  mouth  and  down  the  throat.    This  should  be  made  fresh,  as  the 
camphor  evaporates. 

(8)  Equal  parts  of  powdered  alum,  magnesia  and  sulphur  blown 
into  the  throat  and  nostrils  through  a  quill. 

(9)  For  Diphtheric  Roup :  Peroxide  of  hydrogen  is,  I  think,  the 
best  remedy.     Dilute  with  from  one  to  three  parts  of  water.     The 
solutions,  when  applied  to  diseased  surfaces,  begin  to  foam,  and 
should  be  repeated  until  there  is  no  more  bubbling.    A  little  of  the 
solution  forced  into  the  nostrils  by  the  use  of  a  dropping  tube  or 
atomizer  is  driven  higher  up  into  the  nostrils  by  the  force  of  the 
foaming,  reaching  parts  otherwise  out  of  touch. 

(10)  For  Canker:  Four  grains  of  Sulpho-carbolate  of  zinc  to 
one  ounce  of  water.     Paint  the  canker  spots  with  this  night  and 
morning  and  in  three  days  the  germs  will  be  destroyed.    The  chick- 
ens  should   have   nourishing   food,   such   as   bread   and   milk   and 
chopped  onions. 

If  you  have  any  doubts  as  to  whether  the  disease  is  canker  or 
roup,  you  had  better  use  the  peroxide  of  hydrogen  one  day  and  the 
zinc  the  day  following,  alternating  the  treatment.  It  will  not  do 
to  mix  the  two  medicines  at  the  same  time,  as  one  neutralizes 
the  other. 


TOWN-LOT  FOWLS 


The  rear  of  a  city  lot  can  be  made  to  yield  both  profit  and  pleas- 
ure when  devoted  to  poultry  and  fruit  trees,  and  many  families  may 
enjoy  fresh  eggs  and  an  occasional  roast  chicken,  or  a  "Christ- 
massy" chicken  pie  by  simply  utilizing  some  of  the  vacant  space 
in  the  rear  yards  of  their  homes. 

We  sometimes  hear  that  chickens  cannot  be  raised  successfully 
on  a  city  lot  because  the  land  is  too  valuable  and  that  the  business 
will  not  pay  where  all  the  food  has  to  be  bought. 

The  value  of  a  city  lot  is  often  over-estimated  when  chicken 
raising  is  suggested  for  the  back  yard,  but  the  question  is,  what 
income  is  your  back  lot  now  yielding? 

I  expect  that  the  majority  of  city  back  lots  are  either  an  outlay 
or  an  eyesore  to  their  owners.  They  grow  nothing  but  grass  or 
weeds,  for  which  nothing  is  received.  When  mowed  there  is  that 
expense  to  it,  with  the  water  tax  added,  which  is  not  inconsiderable. 

As  much  as  I  like  lawn  and  flowers  in  the  front  of  the  house,  I 
think  the  ofttimes  neglected  back  yard  should  be  made  valuable  also. 
Nothing  to  my  taste  can  improve  it  like  fruit  trees,  which  are  bene- 
fited by  having  poultry  around  them,  and  will  bring  in  good  re- 
turns, as  I  know  by  experience. 

The  main  requisite  to  making  a  success  of  poultry  raising  on  a 
city  lot,  or  anywhere  else  in  fact,  is  to  be  thoroughly  in  love  with 
your  fowls  and  your  trees.  The  man  or  woman  who  hates  to  work 
around  the  hens,  who  grudges  the  time  and  trouble,  will  never 
make  a  success  of  the  work  and  had  better  let  it  alone. 

How  to  plan  your  back  lot?  It  should  be  fenced  to  suit  your 
space  and  poultry.  If  it  is  a  small  yard,  it  may  be  difficult  to  fence 
it  high  enough  for  the  active  breeds  such  as  the  Leghorns,  but  if 
you  use  poultry  netting  and  do  not  place  any  rail  on  the  top,  you 
will  not  have  any  trouble  with  the  American  breeds,  even  with  a 
comparatively  low  fence.  If  there  is  no  rail  on  the  top,  the  fowls 
do  not  see  where  the  netting  ends  and  they  seldom  try  to  find  the 
top,  but  with  a  rail  they  light  on  that  and  over  they  go. 

It  may  help  a  beginner  to  see  the  plan  of  my  chicken  yard  on  a 
city  lot.  The  chicken  yards  are  50  feet  by  32  feet ;  there  are  eight 
fruit  trees  and  three  water  faucets  in  the  yard.  The  fruit  trees, 
plum,  peach  and  fig,  yielded  several  dollars'  worth  of  fruit  two 
years  after  planting,  and  as  they  grew  older,  increased  the  value  of 
the  crop  in  the  back  lot,  and  gave  the  fowls  shade. 

Hen  House  Construction 

The  earth  around  the  trees  is  kept  well  spaded  and  moist,  so  the 
hens  enjoy  it  as  a  dust  bath  and  that  keeps  them  clean  from  lice  and 
mites.  The  hen  house  is  a  shed  thirty-two  feet  long  and  eight  feet 
wide.  It  is  divided  in  two  parts  for  two  pens  of  fowls.  Each  end 
of  it  is  composed  of  a  roosting  room  eight  feet  by  eight  feet,  with 
space  enough  for  forty  hens,  if  necessary,  although  I  never  wish 
to  keep  more  than  twenty-five  in  each  side. 


TOWN-LOT  FOWLS 


99 


The  roosting  room  is  separated  from  the  scratching  pen  only  by 
a  board  twelve  inches  wide,  to  keep  out  the  straw.  The  back  and 
sides  of  the  roosting  room  are  of  tongued  and  grooved  flooring  and 
perfectly  tight.  The  whole  length  of  the  front  of  the*  shed  is  open, 
except  the  roosting  room,  which  has  a  front  of  burlap.  One  side  of 
the  roosting  room  is  entirely  open  into  the  scratching  pen,  so  that 
the  roosting  room  is  only  tightly  enclosed  on  two  sides  and  has 
free  ventilation  into  the  scratching  pen  and  only  the  burlap  on  the 
south  side.  Consequently  my  fowls  never  have  colds.  The  roof  is 


of  shakes  twelve  inches  to  the  weather.  The  back  of  the  shed  is 
six  and  a  half  feet  high,  the  front  five  feet. 

At  the  south  end  of  the  two  yards  is  a  smaller  one  for  setting 
hens  or  for  young  chicks,  as  they  do  better  kept  away  from  the 
older  fowls.  This  small  yard  is  very  useful  for  fattening  chickens, 
turkeys  or  clucks  for  the  table,  and  in  it  I  have  a  small  portable 
coop  for  the  youngsters. 

I  have  a  water  faucet  in  each  yard.  This  is  a  great  saving  of 
labor  and  anxiety,  for  if  I  am  to  be  absent  any  length  of  time  I 
leave  the  faucet  dripping  just  a  little  and  know  the  hens  will  not 
go  thirsty. 

I  feed  grain  in  the  scratching  pens,  dry  mash  in  hoppers,  green 
lawn  clippings  and  refuse  vegetables,  besides  the  table  scraps. 

There  is  a  saying  that  an  American  family  wastes  or  throws 
away  food  enough  to  support  a  French  family.  Why  not  give  all 
this  waste  to  some  hens?  The  table  scraps,  the  scraping  of  the 
plates,  the  outer  leaves  of  cabbages,  even  the  parings  of  potatoes, 
apples  and  nearly  all  vegetables  now  consigned  to  the  garbage  pail 
would  be  enough  to  almost  keep  a  few  hens. 


100  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

Possibilities  of  a  Town  Lot 

Have  you  any  idea  what  returns  one  dozen  laying  pullets  or 
hens  would  give  you?  I  have,  for  I  have  kept  that  number  on  a 
town  lot.  I  have  not  an  accurate  account  of  all  the  eggs  laid,  but 
I  know  there  were  over  two  thousand  in  one  year,  more  than 
enough  to  supply  a  family  of  six  with  delicious  fresh  eggs  and  to 
raise  between  fifty  and  sixty  young  fowls  for  frying  and  roasting, 
besides  the  old  ones  for  stews  or  for  "poulet  au  ris,"  a  French  dish 
of  which  we  are  extremely  fond. 

Nine-tenths  of  the  home  owners  have  sufficient  space  in  their 
back  yards  to  produce  enough  chickens  and  eggs  to  supply  their 
own  families,  and  in  this  way  greatly  lessen  the  expense  of  living, 
or  in  other  words,  make  enough  to  pay  their  meat  and  grocery 
bills,  or  else  give  them  all  the  fresh  eggs  they  can  consume  with 
a  nice  fry  always  available  for  Sunday  dinner  or  when  a  friend 
unexpectedly  drops  in. 

I  will  give  you  a  formula  for  feeding  hens  on  a  town  lot  which  I 
will  guarantee  will  give  you  eggs  in  abundance  and  at  all  seasons. 
It  is  easy  to  feed,  for  all  you  have  to  do  is  to  mix  it  dry  in  a  big 
box  and  dip  up  half  a  bucket,  once  or  twice  a  week  and  fill  a  box 
or  hopper  full  of  it  as  the  need  is.  It  is  quite  dry  and  will  keep  any 
length  of  time. 

Formula  for  Balanced  Ration 

Mix  by  measure  two  parts  bran,  one  part  corn-meal,  one  part 
oat-meal,  one  part  alfalfa  meal,  one  part  beef  scraps.  Keep  some 
of  this  in  a  box  or  hopper  or  bucket — dry,  perfectly  dry — always 
before  the  hens.  This  dry  food  in  the  hopper  lasts  quite  a  long 
time,  for  the  hens  prefer  the  table  scraps  which  are  fed  to  them 
only  once  a  day  (at  night)  and  they  like  lawn  clippings,  but  this 
dry  feed  keeps  them  in  just  the  right  condition  for  egg  production 
— neither  too  fat  nor  too  thin. 

If  you  do  not  want  to  take  the  trouble  to  mix  this  for  yourself, 
you  can  go  to  any  of  the  poultry  supply  houses  and  buy  the  food 
already  mixed.  This  food  when  put  up  by  reliable  firms  is  what  is 
called  the  "balanced  ration" — that  is,  it  contains  the  elements  of 
the  egg — and  when  the  hens  are  fed  this  they  simply  cannot  help 
laying.  They  are  egg  machines  which  turn  the  properly  balanced 
ration  into  eggs. 


THE  MOULTING  SEASON 


The  moult  with  hens  in  the  natural  state  lasts*  from  sixty  to 
a  hundred  days,  but  with  some  hens,  especially  with  hens  that  have 
hard,  close-growing  feathers,  the  moult  and  the  results  of  it  will 
sometimes  last  over  a  hundred  and  fifty  days ;  in  fact  I  have  known 
of  some  that  went  six  months  without  laying  any  eggs.  Too  long 
to  spend  half  a  year  dressmaking.  Think  of  the  loss  to  their 
owners!  I  did  not  wonder  at  the  man  who  told  me  of  it,  saying 
that  he  just  turned  them  out  and  "let  the  blamed  things  rustle 
for  themselves,"  but  I  thought  if  he  had  helped  them  "rustle" 
perhaps  they  would  not  have  been  so  long  about  it. 

Let  us  consult  Nature  as  you  know  I  am  very  fond  of  doing. 
After  the  wild  bird  has  raised  her  young  and  her  responsibilities 
are  somewhat  over,  she  moults.  The  older  she  is  the  longer  and 
slower  is  the  process  of  dropping  her  feathers  and  growing  them 
again,  because  as  she  ages  her  vitality  is  gradually  lessening.  It  is 
the  same  with  hens;  the  older  a  hen  becomes  the  longer  will  be 
the  period  of  the  moult,  and  not  only  that  but  the  later  will  it  com- 
mence. Let  us  again  turn  to  Nature  and  in  this  copy  her.  We 
want  the  old  hens,  if  we  keep  them  at  all,  to  be  the  parents  of  our 
young  next  spring  and  we  are  only  keeping  them  over  for  a  certain 
reason  (or  for  sentiment),  as  they  have,  perhaps,  proved  thenf- 
selves  to  be  our  very  best  layers,  or  as  the  parents  of  our  prize  win- 
ners, or  may  be  prize  winners  themselves  and  therefore  we  want 
their  offspring  in  the  hopes  of  perpetuating  these  excellent  traits. 

The  Starving  Process 

How  shall  we  help  these  elderly  hens  to  get  quickly  through  the 
moult?  Some  years  ago  I  read  of  a  man  in  New  York  State,  who 
claimed  he  could  make  his  hens  moult  at  any  time  of  the  year  and 
therefore  he  could  also,  by  controlling  the  moult,  make  his  hens 
lay  at  any  time  of  the  year.  His  plan  was  to  starve  the  hens 
and  so  stop  their  laying  and  when  they  had  stopped  for  a  week  or 
two  he  fed  them  highly  with  fattening  food.  This  he  said  made 
them  moult  and  drop  their  feathers  very  quickly  so  that  in  a  few 
days  the  hens  would  be  almost  nude  and  the  new  feathers  would 
come  in  very  rapidly.  His  theory  was  that  when  hens  sit  for  three 
weeks  on  eggs  and  raise  a  brood  of  chickens  they  moult  quickly 
because  they  grow  thin  during  incubation,  and  when  they  have  the 
rich  feed  which  is  given  to  the  little  chicks,  it  makes  them  shed 
their  feathers  and  assists  the  moult. 

His  theory  sounded  very  plausible  and  I  decided  if  he  could  do 
it  I  could  also  and  tried.  I  discovered  the  New  Yorker  was  only 
partly  right  in  his  deductions  and  that  it  does  not  pay  to  force 
Nature  out  of  season. 

The  following  year  I  was  much  more  successful  for  [  only 
attempted  to  "assist"  Nature  and  not  to  "force"  her.  I  did  not  try 
to  make  the  hens  moult  in  June,  but  waited  till  nearer  to  the  nat- 
ural time  of  the  moult,  that  is,  until  August.  I  then  put  the  hens 


1.02  MRS.-RASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

on  green  food.  I  know  that  is  hard  to  get  at  that  time  but  I  had 
lawn  clippings,  vegetables  and  melons,  or  even  alfalfa  hay  cut  in 
the  clover  cutter  and  soaked  for  some  hours  in  water,  and  I  dis- 
pensed with  all  the  grain  and  meat.  I  kept  them  on  this  green  food 
for  about  three  weeks  until  their  avoirdupois  was  considerably 
lower  and  most  of  them  had  stopped  laying  for  a  week. 

Dipping  Fowls 

Meanwhile  during  their  fast  I  saw  that  they  were  entirely  clean 
from  lice,  either  by  keeping  them  well  dusted  with  insect  powder 
or  by  giving  them  a  good  warm  bath  in  warm  soap  suds,  rinsing 
them  in  a  two  per  cent  solution  of  carbolic  acid  or  water  and  creolin 
or  the  kerosene  emulsion.  I  have  tried  all  of  these  with  good 
success. 

This  washing  seems  to  loosen  the  feathers  and  will  clean  the 
fowls  of  lice.  If  lice  are  left  on  the  fowls  at  moulting  time  they  eat 
little  holes  in  the  tender  sprouting  feathers  and  these  little  holes  in 
the  web  of  the  feather  will  certainly  bring  a  "cut"  from  the  judge 
in  the  sho\v-room,  and  for  the  whole  year  will  tell  the  tale  of  care- 
less handling  by  the  owners.  In  washing  or  dipping  fowls  for  lice 
there  are  two  things  to  be  remembered :  First,  do  it  on  a  bright, 
warm,  sunny  morning,  so  the  fowls  will  have  time  to  get  thor- 
oughly dry  before  sundown,  and,  secondly,  see  that  every  feather 
is  thoroughly  soaked.  If  you  skip  a  feather  a  louse  will  take  refuge 
on  it  and  commence  to  breed  again  as  soon  as  the  hen  is  dry.  If 
there  are  any  lice  the  disinfectant  in  the  bath  will  kill  them  and 
the  warm  suds  also  loosens  the  nits  of  the  head  lice.  Those  lice  lay 
two  silvery,  white  nits  at  the  shaft  of  the  feather  and  it  is  difficult 
to  get  them  off. 

Mature  hens  which  are  fed  sparingly  for  about  two  weeks  and 
then  receive  a  rich  nitrogenous  ration,  moult  more  rapidly  and  with 
more  uniformity  and  enter  the  cold  weather  of  winter  in  better  con- 
dition than  the  fowls  fed  continuously  during  the  moulting  period 
on  an  egg-producing  ration. 

What  to  Feed 

It  is  largely  a  question  of  what  not  to  feed  as  well  as  how  little 
to  give  the  birds  you  wish  to  moult  early.  There  is  one  line  of 
foods  that  you  may  feed  in  unlimited  quantities,  and  that  is  the 
green  vegetable,  the  waste,  small  beets  and  thinnings  of  the  garden 
rows  can  be  supplied  every  day.  My  own  plan  in  the  days  when 
I  had  small  ungrassed  yards,  was  to  give  full  quantities  of  lawn 
clippings,  putting  them  into  the  yards  an  hour  before  dark.  This 
gave  the  birds  time  to  fill  up  at  night  and  yet  the  uneaten  clippings 
would  be  still  fresh  in  the  early  morning.  If  you  have  had  no 
experience  in  the  use  of  lawn  grass  you  will  be  surprised  to  see 
how  much  a  few  hens  will  eat.  If  your  hens  have  very  large  yards 
with  fruit  trees  to  supply  some  falling  apples  or  pears,  the  birds 
will  do  very  well  without  other  food.  We  are  inclined  to  over  feed 
our  birds  with  grain  in  the  warm  weather  and,  unless  the  food  is 
really  much  less  than  usual,  you  will  fail  in  getting  an  early  moult. 


THE  MOULTING  SKASON  103 

This  low  feeding  or  starving  process  as  it  is  called  by  many, 
is  the  important  factor  in  the  forced  moult.  Unless  you  really  do 
this  in  good  shape  the  birds  will  continue  to  lay  and  will  shed  their 
feathers  in  mid-autumn. 

Handle  your  birds  on  the  roost  to  test  their  weight.  They  must 
be  thin  in  body,  yet  good  in  color  of  comb  and  wattles.  I  find  that 
birds  take  from  fourteen  to  twenty-one  days  to  get  real  thin.  You 
will  notice  as  you  put  this  plan  into  practice  that  the  egg  yield  will 
drop  off  until  no  eggs  are  being  layed ;  that  the  birds  are  on  the  run 
all  the  day  long,  coming  to  meet  you  at  any  point  of  the  fence  you 
may  approach.  The  birds  show  that  they  miss  some  of  their  usual 
food.  This  thinning  will  do  no  harm  to  the  birds ;  in  fact  it  adds 
to  the  health  of  the  birds  for  months  to  come. 

The  Full  Ration 

When  the  birds  have  lost  all  superflous  flesh,  when  the  eggs 
have  ceased  to  appear  for  a  week,  feed  them  good,  full  rations  of 
growing  foods.  Now  is  when  you  add  meat,  beef  scraps,  green 
bone,  cornmeal,  and  linseed  meal.  You  can  give  them  a  morning 
meal  of  two  parts  cornmeal;  three  parts  bran,  one  part  beef  scrap. 
At  noon  feed  a  small  handful  of  wheat  or  barley  to  every  bird  and 
at  night  a  full  feed  of  wheat  or  corn.  Do  not  neglect  to  furnish  full 
supplies  of  green  food  and  vegetables  all  the  fall. 

The  change  from  the  low  feed  to  the  fuH  rations  will  be  followed 
by  the  rapid  dropping  of  feathers.  The  feathers  will  fall  off  all  over 
the  birds  so  that  many  of  them  will  be  almost  naked.  This  result 
will  be  seen  in  most  of  the  birds.  A  few  will  fail  to  respond,  more 
if  you  do  not  follow  the  plan  as  outlined. 

Keep  the  full  feed  up  until  the  birds  get  the  new  coat  of  feathers 
and  begin  to  lay  a  few  eggs.  Then  feed  them  as  you  do  the  fully 
mature  pullets ;  avoid  feeding  of  heating  foods  (corn  and  corn  pro- 
ducts) lest  you  start  another  moult  in  the  late  autumn. 

The  forced  moult  is  ONLY  FOR  MATURED  FOWLS,  or 
fowls  that  are  over  a  year  old.  You  must  not  starve  the  pullets. 
You  must  keep  them  growing.  They  will  stand  more  heating  food 
than  hens.  Let  the  pullets  do  most  of  your  winter  laying,  but  do 
not  neglect  anything  that  will  induce  the  older  birds  to  give  you  a 
good  share  in  the  profits  of  winter  eggs. 

To  sum  up  the  whole  matter  in  a  few  words,  if  you  want  to  has- 
ten the  moult,  do  not  try  the  experiment  with  all  your  fowls,  but 
take  a  few,  separate  them  from  the  others  and  about  the  middle 
or  end  of  August,  commence  to  shorten  their  food.  You  can  do  this 
suddenly,  giving  them  only  green  food  and  all  the  green  feed  they 
want.  Secondly,  keep  this  green  feed  up  for  two  or  three  weeks, 
or  at  least  one  week  after  they  have  stopped  laying.  Thirdly,  the 
green  food  should  be  clover,  lawn-clippings,  alfalfa  hay  cut  in  a 
clover  cutter  and  soaked  in  water;  beet  tops,  cabbage,  lettuce,  etc. 
Fourthly,  after  the  three  weeks'  fast,  feed  rich  food,  fattening  food, 
sunflower  seeds,  kaffir  corn,  wheat,  barley,  oats  and  meat.  Fifthly, 
when  they  begin  to  lay  on  this  food,  which  they  will  do  in  about  a 


104  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

month  when  they  have  completed  their  coat,  gradually  change  the 
food,  taking  away  the  corn  and  its  products,  and  the  linseed  meal, 
and  anything  that  would  be  very  fattening. 

Color  of  Feathers  and  Skin 

The  feeding  of  the  fattening  foods  adds  heat  to  the  body,  fever 
our  grandmothers  called  it,  and  this  fever  seems  to  loosen  the 
feathers  all  at  once — just  what  we  want — and  they  fall  so  quickly 
that  the  hens  are  almost  nude.  Then  is  the  time  for  care  in  feeding 
if  you  have  exhibition  stock,  for  I  am  certain  color  can  be  greatly 
controlled  by  food. 

Now,  I  know  by  my  own  experience  that  yellow  corn  will  give 
yellow  feathers  (brassy  feathers)  to  white  fowls  when  freely  fed ; 
that  cottonseed  meal  will  have  the  same  effect,  for  that  is  what  we 
add  to  the  fattening  food  the  last  week  to  give  the  yellow  tint  to 
the  skin.  I  know  that  iron  in  the  drinking  water  has  the  same  effect 
with  white  fowls.  With  colored  fowls,  such  as  Brown  Leghorns 
or  Partridge  fowls  or  Buffs  the  iron  and  the  corn  will  intensify  and 
make  more  brilliant  and  bright  their  colors. 

The  fowls  that  are  making  their  new  coats,  the  coats  that  have 
to  last  the  hens  a  year,  all  need  plenty  of  green  food  and  grain.  The 
white  fowls  instead  of  yellow  corn,  should  have  oats,  hulled  oats 
are  best,  but  if  you  cannot  get  hulled  oats,  soak  the  oats  in  scalding 
water  so  the  hulls  will  be  softened.  Hulled  oats  may  appear  to  be 
more  expensive  than  the  unhulled,  but  there  is  so  much  waste,  so 
much  indigestible  fiber  in  the  unhulled  oats,  that  I  decided  that  it 
was  more  profitable  to  feed  the  hulled  oats.  For  those  who  are 
feeding  cockerels  which  they  want  to  exhibit  in  the  winter ;  for 
the  white  or  black  and  white,  give  them  shade,  plenty  of  shade, 
for  our  California  sun  will  draw  out  the  yellow;  cut  off  all  the 
yellow  corn  and  all  cottonseed  meal;  feed  oats,  wheat,  barley,  grit, 
charcoal  and  have  granulated  bone  always  before  them.  For  the 
colored  fowls  add  linseed  meal  to  the  ration.  It  will  deepen  and 
brighten  the  colors. 


VALUE  OF  ECONOMY 

The  old  saying  "a  penny  saved  is  a  penny  earned"  may  well 
apply  to  the  poultry  business.  To  make  money  in  the  business,  one 
must  practice  economy  in  every  direction. 

Economy  in  Grain 

First:  Economy  in  buying  the  food.  This  is  very  important. 
The  available  grains  vary  in  different  places  in  price;  in  some 
localities,  for  instance,  barley  is  cheaper  than  wheat,  then  utilize 
barley;  that  is  to  say  if  there  is  a  decided  difference  in  the  cost, 
remembering  that  barley  has  a  husk  on  it,  which  is  indigestible 
fiber,  and  that  fowls  do  not  like  it  as  well  as  wheat,  although  they 
eat  it  readily  if  rolled,  or  soaked  or  sprouted,  and  the  analysis  shows 
the  same  nutritive  ratio  as  wheat.  Again  in  some  places,  oats  can 
be  obtained  very  cheaply,  and  these  are  a  most  valuable  grain  for 
feeding  and  building  up  large,  sturdy  frames  in  the  young  fowls, 
promoting  egg  laying  and  inducing  fertility  in  the  eggs.  I  have 
great  faith  in  oats — it  is  good  for  man,  beast  and  bird,  but  the  husk 
is  the  difficulty  there.  The  oats  should  be  scalded  or  clipped,  or 
better  still,  hulled  to  make  them  thoroughly  available.  In  Oregon 
and  Washington,  Oats  are  less  expensive  than  in  the  south,  and 
therefore  should  be  freely  used  there.  By  commencing  the  use 
of  them  early,  the  chicks  will  be  vigorous  and  of  large  frame. 

Then  again  rice,  rice  hulls  and  rice  bran  are  cheap  in  certain 
localities,  such  as  in  San  Francisco  and  Seattle,  where  large  quanti- 
ties are  imported  and  cleaned,  and  these  can  be  had  very  cheaply 
and  utilized  either  in  the  dry  or  wet  mash.  In  other  places  where 
beans  and  peas  are  grown  in  quantities,  the  refuse  of  these,  which 
is  not  worth  marketing,  can  be  used  most  advantageously. 

Broom  corn  seed  is  a  most  excellent  food  and  costs  very  little. 
I  had  in  Oklahoma  many  tons  of  this,  to  which  the  fowls  had  free 
access  and  with  green  growing  winter  wheat,  a  little  milk  and  table 
scraps,  they  layed  all  through  the  moult  and  through  the  winter, 
notwithstanding  the  blizzards  and  zero  weather.  Nothing  seemed 
to  stop  their  laying,  and  I  attributed  it  to  the  broom-corn  seed. 
Sorghum  seed  is  equally  good. 

Another  little  economy  I  found  quite  good  among  the  little 
chickens  was  buying  dry  or  stale  bread  from  the  bakeries  at  25c 
a  sack  weighing  25  pounds.  This  I  took  home,  cut  same  in  slices 
and  dried  in  the  sun  or  in  the  oven,  ground  in  the  grist  mill  and 
used  either  moistened  or  dry,  for  chickens,  turkeys  and  ducks. 

Economy  in  Vegetables 

Then,  again,  there  are  the  various  vegetables,  many  of  which  can 
be  had  for  almost  nothing.  There  are  "small  potatoes."  It  gener- 
ally raises  a  smile  to  talk  of  these,  but  they  make  a  most  excellent 
addition  and  variety  to  the  fowls'  bill  of  fare.  Small  raw  potatoes 
can  be  chopped  up  in  the  chopping  bowl  in  a  few  minutes,  also  tur- 
nips, carrots  and  onions,  and  the  outer  leaves  of  cabbage,  cauli- 


106  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

flower  or  celery.  I  bought  the  largest  chopping,  or  butter  bowl,  I 
could  find,  and  a  double  bladed  chopping  knife,  and  used  it  every 
day,  especially  for  the  little  chickens  and  turkeys.  Small  potatoes, 
turnips  and  carrots  can  be  boiled,  mashed,  mixed  with  bran  and 
blood-meal,  or  with  milk,  and  make  a  good  variety  in  the  diet.  If 
you  have  other  vegetables  to  spare,  such  as  beets,  cucumbers, 
pumpkins,  etc.,  and  find  the  fowls  do  not  at  first  like  them,  chop 
some  up  and  mix  bran  with  them  and  soon  the  hens  will  acquire 
a  liking  for  them. 

Another  economy  is  using  the  leaves  which  fall  from  alfalfa  hay. 
When  the  hay-mow  begins  to  get  empty,  sweep  up  the  leaves  and 
put  them  in  a  box  or  sack  to  mix  in  either  the  dry  or  wet  mash.  I 
used  to  try  to  keep  the  last  two  bales  of  the  alfalfa  hay,  as  the  balers 
would  sweep  up  the  leaves  and  put  them  in  these  last  two  and  this 
was  just  what  I  wanted  for  my  hens.  Sometimes  I  soaked  the 
leaves  and  fed  them  at  noon,  keeping  the  alfalfa  tea  to  mix  in  the 
mash  with  potatoes  and  bran  or  whatever  I  was  feeding.  I  always 
said  the  alfalfa  tea  was  as  good  as  beef  tea.  There  are  many  ways 
of  economizing  in  the  feed. 

Economy  in  Labor 

Another  thing  to  economize  is  labor.  I  know  many  a  farmer's 
busy  wife  will  agree  with  me  in  this.  I  found  the  dry  feed  a  great 
saving  of  time  and  strength.  It  was  much  less  labor  to  carry  around 
to  my  many  pens  of  fowls,  buckets  full  of  dry  food  nicely  mixed  in 
the  proper  proportions  and  pour  it  into  a  box,  or  trough  or  hopper 
and  let  the  hens  eat  it  dry,  instead  of  laboriously  mixing  it  with 
water.  Before  trying  the  dry  feed,  I  had  so  many  hens  that  I  had 
a  large  trough  made,  like  a  plasterer's  trough,  and  I  used  to  mix 
and  turn  the  mash  with  a  spade  or  hoe  and  then  fill  those  large 
buckets  full  and  put  them  on  a  child's  express  wagon  to  pull  out  to 
the  pens.  This  was  quite  hard  work  and  I  hailed  with  joy  the 
easier  task  of  carrying  the  lighter  buckets  of  dry  food.  I  found,  too, 
that  it  saved  time  to  mix  up  the  food  by  the  sackful  or  binful ;  then 
all  that  was  required  was  to  dip  up  a  bucketful  for  each  pen.  I 
showed  this  plan  to  a  friend  of  mine  and  later  had  a  letter  from  her 
telling  me  it  was  a  great  comfort,  for  all  she  had  to  do  was  to  send 
her  Jap  boy  out  to  that  certain  box  or  bin  and  tell  him  to  feed  that ; 
she  knew  he  could  not  make  a  mistake  for  it  was  ready  mixed. 

Economy  in  Water 

Another  economy :  Have  a  water  faucet  in  each  pen.  This  may 
seem  like  an  expense  at  first,  but  it  will  pay  in  the  end,  for  fresh 
water  is  as  important  as  good  food,  and  if  it  requires  but  a  turn  of 
the  faucet  the  hens  are  sure  to  be  amply  supplied.  At  one  ranch 
where  there  was  an  abundance  of  water,  I  saw  a  small  fountain 
which  ran  into  a  basin  and  that  in  turn  overflowed  into  some  cobble- 
stones and  a  drain,  so  that  the  hens  had  always  fresh  water  with- 
out drawing  on  either  the  strength  or  time  of  their  owner. 

I  would,  however,  caution  chicken  raisers  against  allowing  the 


VALUE  OF  ECONOMY  107 

water  to  run  in  a  stream  from  pen  to  pen,  as  that  may  carry  infec- 
tion, especially  the  infection  of  colds  and  roup.  Qne  gentleman 
who  had  3000  fowls  told  me  that  letting  the  water  run  in  a  small 
stream  through  his  pens,  had  ruined  him  in  the  chicken  business. 
One  pen  at  the  top  of  the  hill  got  roup,  and  the  infection  was  carried 
through  to  all  of  them.  In  Kansas  one  of  the  worst  outbreaks  of 
chicken  cholera  came  from  a  creek.  All  the  farms  on  that  creek 
lost  all,  or  nearly  all  their  chickens,  from  drinking  contaminated 
water.  A  faucet  in  every  yard  would  be  cheaper  in  the  end  than  an 
outbreak  of  roup  or  cholera.. 

Economy  in  Fencing 

Economy  in  fencing  came  in  very  handily  one  summer.  I  found 
I  could  make  a  very  good  temporary  chicken-wire  fence  with  posts 
50  feet  apart  by  "darning"  in  a  lath  every  eight  feet  or  so,  passing 
the  lath  in  and  out  of  the  wire  meshes  before  putting  up  the  wire. 
This  keeps  the  wire  stretched  and  when  taken  down  it  can  simply 
be  rolled  up  and  used  over  and  over  again,  keeping  the  lath  in  it 
ready  for  the  next  time.  I  found  chicken-wire  and  lath  quite  an 
economy.  I  made  cat  and  hawk-proof  little  pens  of  this.  Bought 
a  bundle  of  six-foot  lath,  some  two-foot  chicken-wire  and  made 
most  useful  little  panels  six  feet  long  with  the  laths,  stretching  the 
chicken  wire  on  them  and  tacking  it  down  with  two-pointed  tacks. 
I  wired  or  tied  the  panels  at  the  corners  and  had  a  larger  panel  go 
over  the  top  made  of  six-foot  wire.  I  did  not  have  to  kill  any  cats 
or  have  fusses  with  the  neighbors.  The  little  panels  were  untied 
and  piled  up  for  the  winter  time  and  put  in  the  barn,  coming  out 
almost  as  good  as  new  the  next  season.  They  were  cheap,  light, 
easily  handled  and  very  satisfactory. 

Beware  of  Spoiled  Food 

It  is  poor  economy  to  buy  spoiled  grain  of  any  kind.  The  best  is 
none  too  good,  and  anything  that  is  spoiled  is  very  apt  to  bring  in 
disease.  Wheat  or  any  grain  that  has  been  moistened  will  develop 
fungoid  growth ;  smutty  wheat,  etc.,  is  almost  poisonous  to  fowls, 
while,  of  course,  we  know  that  there  is  no  grain  that  so  nearly 
approaches  the  analysis  of  an  egg  as  does  wheat,  when  it  is  good. 
Corn,  likewise,  if  it  has  been  dampened,  will  commence  to  ferment 
and  that  will  disagree  with  fowls.  At  one  time  there  was  a  fire  at 
a  flour  mill  in  Los  Angeles.  A  great  deal  of  the  spoiled  wheat  was 
sold  for  chicken  feed.  "Anything  was  good  enough  for  chickens," 
was  the  cry,  and  hundreds  of  chickens  lost  their  lives  from  that 
wheat.  The  owners  of  the  fowls  thought  it  was  chemicals  that  had 
been  used  in  suppressing  the  fire,  but  it  was  nothing  but  water, 
some  of  the  firemen  told  me,  that  had  been  used  for  extinguishing 
the  fire.  The  dampened  wheat  became  musty  and  mouldy  and  it 
was  that  which  killed  the  chickens.  Again  in  using  beef  scraps, 
meat  meal,  blood  meal  or  animal  meal,  be  careful  to  buy  the  best 
you  can  get,  and  keep  it  carefully  away  from  any  Dampness. 
Dampened  or  spoilt  animal  food  is  poisonous  to  the  chickens  and 


108  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

many  a  fowl  has  died  from  ptomaine  poisoning  from  using  spoiled 
animal  food.  One  of  the  greatest  economies  is  to  buy  in  large 
quantities. 

Most  Suitable  Green  Foods 

Whilst  we  are  on  the  subject  of  economy  we  must  not  forget  the 
two  green  foods  that  are  the  most  suitable  for  fowls — clover  and 
alfalfa. 

Let  those  who  are  living  on  a  town  lot  have  a  clover  lawn ; 
clover  requires  less  water  than  blue-grass  or  any  lawn  grass  in  this 
climate,  and  is  easily  grown  when  once  it  is  properly  started.  The 
lawn  clippings  are  just  the  right  length  for  green  food  and  if  neces- 
sary, the  hens  can  be  turned  out  on  to  the  lawn  two  hours  before 
sunset,  and  will  then  busy  themselves  nipping  off  the  clover  leaves ; 
they  will  not  have  time  or  inclination  to  do  damage  by  scratching. 
A  run  on  the  lawn  before  bedtime  is  a  wonderful  tonic  for  chickens 
that  are  yarded  closely  all  the  day. 

Every  farm  should  have  an  alfalfa  patch,  if  not  a  good  big 
field  of  alfalfa,  and  no  chicken  ranch  is  complete  without  one,  for 
the  youngsters  should  have  a  good  alfalfa  run  to  properly  develop 
them. 

Alfalfa  is  a  legume ;  is  rich  in  nitrogen  and  enriches  the  land 
upon  which  it  is  grown.  It  is  the  best  green  feed  next  to  clover 
for  the  hens  or  cows,  and  the  hens  love  it.  It  is  equally  good  for 
ducks  and  turkeys.  The  question  of  economy  of  labor  is  a  very 
serious  matter  in  poultry  raising,  and  by  having  a  good  alfalfa 
patch  upon  which  the  hens  may  be  turned  several  hours  daily,  the 
labor  of  cutting  and  preparing  green  food  for  them  is  eliminated 
and  will  prove  a  great  economy. 

Hens  that  have  an  abundance  of  alfalfa  will  lay  eggs  with  very 
rich  colored  yolks  and  these  eggs  are  usually  fertile  and  produce 
healthy,  vigorous  offspring.  An  alfalfa  range  insures  health,  a  good 
digestion  and  to  growing  chicks,  a  large  frame.  In  buying  a  chicken 
ranch,  one  of  the  important  questions  is  "will  the  land  grow 
alfalfa?"  Is  there  sufficient  water  to  raise  a  good  crop  of  alfalfa? 

Alfalfa  meal,  or  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  Calfalfa,  has  been  suc- 
cessfully used  for  hens.  This  is  alfalfa  hay  ground  up  finely  to 
form  a  meal.  I  have  used  this  for  several  years  and  I  find  it  some- 
times good  and  sometimes  bad.  The  analysis  of  it  made  by  the 
University  of  California  shows  the  protein  content  to  be  very  high, 
and  the  nutritive  ratio  to  be  1 :3.3.  This  is  the  good  meal.  The 
poor  meal  contains  too  much  fiber,  and,  as  Prof.  Rice  of  Cornell 
University  remarked,  "It  was  better  for  stuffing  a  bed  than  a  hen." 
It  all  depends  upon  the  quality  of  the  alfalfa.  Sometimes  it  is  left 
until  it  is  too  old  or  is  not  properly  cured,  and  is  almost  valueless ; 
at  other  times  it  may  have  been  dampened  and  become  musty. 
When  this  is  the  case,  it  will  disagree  with  the  fowls  and  give  them 
diarrhoea.  To  test  it  pour  boiling  water  upon  it  and  if  it  smells 
sweet,  like  hay,  it  is  all  right.  If  there  is  a  musty,  mildewy  smell, 
discard  it. 


PRESERVING  EGGS 

Of  twenty  methods  of  preserving  eggs  tested  in  Germany,  the 
three  which  proved  the  most  effective  were  coating  the  eggs  with 
vaseline,  preserving  them  in  lime  water,  and  preserving  them  in 
water-glass.  The  conclusion  was  reached  that  the  last  was  prefer- 
able, because  varnishing  the  eggs  with  vaseline  takes  considerable 
time  and  treating  them  with  the  lime  water  may  give  them  a  dis- 
agreeable taste.  These  drawbacks  are  not  to  be  found  with  eggs 
preserved  in  water-glass,  which  unquestionably  is  the  best  pre- 
servative yet  discovered.  The  most  difficult  point  probably  in  the 
use  of  water-glass  for  preserving  eggs  is  its  tendency  to  vary 
in  quality.  As  a  matter  of  fact  there  are  two  or  three  kinds  of 
water-glass,  and  in  addition  to  the  fact  that  the  buyer  does  not  al- 
ways have  a  distinct  idea  as  to  what  he  wants,  the  local  druggist 
may  not  know  all  about  it,  or  he  may  not  know  which  kind  is  best 
for  preservative  purposes.  The  main  use  of  these  preparations  for 
years  has  been  the  rendering  of  fabrics  non-inflammable.  This  use 
in  the  Royal  Theatre  of  Munich  has  rendered  the  place  fire-proof 
by  its  use  as  a  varnish  in  the  fresco  work,  woodwork,  scenery  and 
curtains.  It  is  also  used  for  hardening  stone  and  protecting  it  from 
the  action  of  the  weather.  It  was  thus  used  many  years  ago,  to  ar- 
rest the  decay  of  the  stones  in  the  British  Houses  of  Parliament. 
The  use  of  this  medium  for  egg  preservation  is  comparatively  new, 
especially  in  this  country,  and  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that 
dealers  do  not  always  supply  just  what  is  wanted. 

Different  Names  for  Water  Glass 

If  we  used  the  term  soluble  glass  or  "dissolved  glass"  in  prefer- 
ence to  either  water-glass  or  silicate  of  soda,  it  might  better  de- 
scribe just  what  we  want,  although  one  of  the  other  names  might 
be  preferable  when  ordering  of  the  druggist.  This  term  expresses 
exactly  what  the  material  is.  When  we  buy  it  by  the  pint  or  quart, 
we  get  dissolved  glass.  When  we  buy  it  dry,  we  get  a  soluble  glass 
powder  sometimes  like  powdered  stone,  sometimes  white  and 
glassy  as  to  its  particles.  The  powdered  forms  are  supposed  to 
dissolve  in  boiling  water,  but  they  do  not  dissolve  readily,  and  must 
often  be  kept  boiling  for  some  hours. 

Water-glass  is  made  by  melting  together  pure  quartz  and  a  caus- 
tic alkali,  soda  or  potash,  and  sometimes  a  little  charcoal. 

Several  of  our  Experiment  Stations  have  made  some  rather  ex- 
haustive experiments  with  this  dissolved  glass  in  preserving  eggs. 
The  reports  are,  without  exception,  in  favor  of  it.  No  other  pre- 
servative is  reported  as  being  equal  to  this  one.  The  stuff  is  invari- 
ably described  as  a  thick  or  jelly-like  liquid,  and  the  proportions 
recommended  are  one  pint  of  the  silicate  of  soda  to  nine  pints  of 
water,  although  the  Rhode  Island  Station  reports  experiments  in 
which  as  low  as  two  per  cent  of  water-glass  was  used  with  favor- 
able results.  This  is  done  to  find  out  how  little  could  be  used,  but 


110  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

this  small  proportion  was  not  recommended.     Further  trials  may 
show  that  less  than  nine  to  one  may  be  reliable. 

Directions  for  Use 

The  directions  for  use  are:  Use  pure  water  which  has  been 
thoroughly  boiled  and  cooled.  To  each  nine  quarts  of  this  water 
add  one  quart  of  water-glass.  '  Pack  the  eggs  in  the  jar  and  pour 
the  solutions  over  them.  The  solution  may  be  prepared,  placed  in 
the  jar  and  fresh  eggs  added  from  time  to  time  until  the  jar  is  filled, 
but  care  must  be  used  to  keep  fully  two  inches  of  water-glass  solu- 
tion to  cover  the  eggs.  Keep  the  eggs  in  a  cool  place  and  the  jar 
covered  to  prevent  evaporation.  A  cool  cellar  is  a  good  place  in 
which  to  keep  the  eggs. 

If  the  eggs  be  kept  in  a  too  Avarm  place  the  silicate  will  be 
deposited  and  the  eggs  will  not  be  properly  protected.  Do  not  wash 
the  eggs  before  packing,  for  by  so  doing  you  will  injure  their  keep- 
ing qualities.  Probably  by  dissolving  the  mucilaginous  coating  on 
the  outside  of  the  shell.  For  packing  use  only  perfectly  fresh  eggs, 
for  eggs  that  have  already  become  stale  cannot  be  preserved  by 
this  or  any  other  method,  and  one  stale  egg  may  spoil  the  whole 
batch. 

I  can  speak  from  my  own  experience,  for  I  .have  packed  eggs  in 
it  for  five  years  and  shall  do  so  again.  We  are  fond  of  fresh  eggs 
and  use  a  great  many,  and  I  find  it  most  convenient  to  have  a  jar 
or  crock  full  of  nice  eggs  always  on  hand.  I  have  kept  them  my- 
self for  eight  months  and  have  no  doubt  but  that  I  could  have  pre- 
served them  still  longer  had  we  not  eaten  them,  for  I  found  them 
to  all  appearances  as  fresh  as  if  not  over  a  week  old.  It  costs  about 
\l/2  cents  per  dozen  to  preserve  them. 

The  Kind  of  Vessels  for  Packing 

Prof.  Ladd,  of  the  North  Dakota  Agricultural  Station,  spoke  of 
receiving  a  few  complaints  that  barrels  were  not  proving  satisfac- 
tory, the  water-glass  appearing  to  dissolve  some  product  which  de- 
posited on  the  eggs.  He  thinks  this  might  be  attributed  to  the 
presence  of  glue,  which  had  been  used  as  sizing  for  the  barrels.  In 
such  instances,  charring  the  barrel  inside  with  thorough  washing 
thereafter,  is  recommended.  Altogether  the  preference  seems  to 
be  for  glass  or  stoneware  vessels. 

Prof.  Ladd's  statement  as  to  the  satisfactory  results  of  the  water- 
glass  method  is  very  strong.  He  says :  "This  method  has  been 
tested  in  a  commercial  way,  in  nearly  every  state  and  part  of  our 
country,  and  we  have  not  had  to  exceed  eight  adverse  reports." 
One  of  the  stations  affirm  that  the  failures  reported  are  probably 
due  to  receiving  water-glass  of  poor  quality. 

It  is  also  stated  that  these,  like  all  preserved  eggs,  contain  a 
little  gas,  and,  when  boiled,  they  will  be  likely  to  burst  unless  previ- 
ously pricked  through  the  shell  at  the  large  end. 

As  the  entire  processes  of  preservation  are  an  effort  to  fence  out 
germs,  the  recommendation  not  to  wash  off  the  mucilaginous  coat- 
ing which  nature  puts  on  the  eggs,  and  also  to  use  only  boiled 


PRESERVING  EGGS  Hi 

water,  appear  very  logical.  When  we  know  just  what  we  are  aim- 
ing at,  we  are  less  likely  to  omit  the  little  precautions  which  other- 
wise might  seem  like  the  whims  of  some  fussy  person.  Too  many 
people  skip  the  essentials  when  trying  to  follow  a  formula. 

I  have  kept  the  eggs  in  tin  receptacles,  five-gallon  kerosene  oil 
cans,  and  large  lard  pails.  These  kept  the  eggs  perfectly,  but  after 
a  time  the  water  and  silica  of  soda  rusted  them  in  spots  and  the  red 
rust  formed  a  sediment  on  the  eggs.  This  did  not  injure  them  as 
far  as  I  could  see,  except  giving  them  a  brownish  tinge,  and  on 
asking  the  druggist,  he  said  he  did  not  see  why  the  tin  should  not 
be  used,  as  the  silicate  of  soda  comes  from  the  East  in  tin  cans.  If 
tin  is  used,  it  is  best  not  to  paint  the  cans  or  oil  them,  as  the  soda 
has  an  affinity  for  oil  and  will  eat  through  it  and  the  oil  or  grease 
may  impart  a  disagreeable  flavor  to  the  eggs.  Remember  the  eggs 
must  be  absolutely  fresh,  for  one  bad  egg  may  spoil  the  whole 
quantity  in  the  receptable. 

Preserving  in  Lime 

The  process  of  keeping  them  in  lime-water  is  as  follows :  Slack 
four  pounds  of  lime,  then  add  four  pounds  of  salt ;  add  eight  gal- 
lons of  water.  Stir  and  leave  to  settle.  The  next  day  stir  again. 
After  the  mixture  has  settled  the  second  time,  draw  off  the  clear 
liquid.  Take  two  ounces  each  of  baking  soda,  cream  of  tartar,  salt 
petre,  and  a  little  alum.  Pulverise  and  mix;  dissolve  in  two  quarts 
of  boiling  water.  Add  this  to  the  lime  water.  Put  the  eggs  in  a 
stone  jar,  small  end  down,  one  layer  on  top  of  another,  and  pour 
on  the  solution.  Set  the  jar  away  in  a  cool  place.  This  method  is 
quite  satisfactory,  but  not  so  good  as  the  water-glass  as  the  eggs 
are  liable  to  taste  of  the  lime. 


CAPONS 


"Does  Caponizing  Pay?"  We  will  consider  the  matter  fully 
and  from  different  points  of  view. 

In  Philadelphia  and  New  York,  in  London  and  Paris,  capons  are 
considered  a  great  delicacy,  and  as  we,  in  California,  become  more 
metropolitan,  capons  will  be  more  and  more  in  demand.  Eleven  or 
twelve  years  ago  when  I  had  capons  for  sale  I  could  not  get  more 
per  pound  for  them  than  for  the  uncaponized  fowls,  as  the  An- 
gelenos  had  not  been  educated  in  taste  to  the  excellency  of  capon 
meat. 

Capons  are  undoubtedly  a  more  delicious  dish  at  a  year  old  than 
an  uncaponized  male  bird  of  the  same  age.  I  had  been  led  to  sup- 
pose that  a  capon  would  be  immensely  heavier  and  larger  than  an 
uncaponized  bird  of  the  same  age.  This  I  found  was  not  the  case, 
the  capons  being  rarely  more  than  from  half  a  pound  to  a  pound 
heavier,  if  at  all.  My  chief  reason  for  caponizing  was  the  desire  to 
train  capons  for  foster  mothers  of  chicks.  I  wanted  mothers  that 
would  not  commence  to  lay  as  my  hens  did  when  chickens  were 
two,  or  at  most,  three  weeks  old  and  then  desert  them.  In  this  I 
was  thoroughly  successful.  The  trained  capon  will  mother  chicks 
just  as  long  as  the  chicks  will  stay  with  him,  and  after  a  little  rest 
will  take  another  brood  and  mother  it  again,  clucking  to  the  chicks, 
feeding  them,  defending  them,  hovering  them  better  than  the  hen. 

"Does  caponizing  pay?"  Careful  experiments  have  proved  that 
the  increase  in  weight  is  by  no  means  so  great  as  the  public  has 
been  led  to  believe.  It  takes  capons  at  least  a  month  to  sufficiently 
recover  from  the  operation  to  catch  up  with  their  former  mates  in 
size  and  when  they  come  to  a  marketable  age  they  seldom  weigh 
a  pound  more  than  the  uncaponized  birds  of  the  same  breed  and 
age.  The  gain,  however,  in  price  is  in  their  favor  for  it  about 
doubles  that  of  the  other.  This  sounds  like  a  strong  argument  on 
the  side  of  the  capon,  but  again  the  cost  of  production  is  an  essen- 
.tial  factor  in  the  study  of  the  question.  It  will  cost  as  much  to  pro- 
duce a  ten-pound  capon  as  to  produce  three  or  four  young  chicks 
of  the  same  combined  weight;  in  fact  with  food  at  the  present  price 
I  really  think  it  will  cost  more. 

"Does  caponizing  pay?"  I  knew  a  lady  about  three  years  ago 
who  sold  four  capons  for  sixteen  dollars.  She  was  so  much  en- 
couraged by  this,  for  they  averaged  38  cents  a  pound,  that  the  fol- 
lowing season  she  drove  around  the  country  buying  up  little  cock- 
erels and  caponizing  them.  She  was  very  successful  in  operat- 
ing, rarely  losing  any,  but  as  she  only  stayed  in  the  business  one 
year,  I  think  she  did  not  consider  it  very  remunerative. 

Easy  to  Learn 

The  art  of  caponizing  is  simple  and  easy  to  learn.  In  France 
the  farmers'  wives  and  daughters  have  done  the  caponizing  for  cen- 
turies and  practically  without  instruments  except  a  sharp  knife. 
In  this  country  and  age,  we  can  buy  a  case  of  the  best  instruments, 


CAPONS  113 

with  full  instructions  for  use,  at  a  low  cost,  and  the  Agricultural  sta- 
tions of  some  states  give  free  demonstration  lessons  to  anyone 
within  the  state.  The  Rhode  Island  College  gives  lessons  in  capon- 
izing  in  connection  with  its  poultry  course  and  also  sends  out,  free, 
a  book  of  instructions.  By  following  these  instructions  and  ex- 
perimenting for  the  first  time  on  a  dead  chicken,  any  one  that  is  deft 
can  learn  it.  The  operation  is  performed  with  apparently  little  pain 
to  the  subject  and  the  minute  the  bird  is  released  it  will  eat  heartily 
and  walk  around  as  if  nothing  had  occurred. 

In  foreign  countries  the  art  of  caponizing  has  been  known  and 
practiced  for  ages,  yet  it  is  not  so  common  nor  are  capons  so  plenti- 
ful but  that  prices  rule  high  and  capons  are  considered  the  choicest 
of  viands  and  above  the  reach  of  any  except  the  rich.  In  this 
blessed  country  there  is  no  reason  why  the  producers  of  poultry 
should  not  feast  upon  capons,  besides  having  the  satisfaction  of 
producing  and  marketing  strictly  high  class  poultry. 

Favorite  Breeds  for  Capons 

In  New  England  the  favorite  breeds  for  caponizing  are  the  Light 
Brahmas  and  the  Cochin  and  Brahma  crosses.  They  are  chosen  on 
account  of  their  large  size  and  slow  growth  to  maturity.  The  Ply- 
mouth Rocks  follow,  together  with  the  Orpingtons  and  Wyan- 
dottes.  The  smaller  breeds  make,  of  course,  much  smaller  capons, 
still  they  are  popular  in  small  families  where  large  size  is  not  re- 
quired. I  have  personally  caponized  only  my  White  Plymouth 
Rocks.  Nothing  could  be  better  than  capons  of  this  breed.  At 
nine  or  ten  months  of  age  they  are  in  their  prime  and  the  juiciness 
and  flavor  of  their  flesh  is  superb. 

Among  the  advantages  of  caponizing  are,  the  birds  may  be  kept 
together  in  large  numbers,  will  not  quarrel  or  fight,  will  not  harass 
the  hens  and  pullets,  will  not  misuse  the  little  chicks,  bear  crowd- 
ing and  take  on  flesh  more  rapidly  than  cockerels.  They  make, 
when  trained,  most  excellent  mothers  for  little  chickens,  sheltering 
them  under  their  long  feathers  and  great  wings. 

Best  Time  for  Caponizing 

The  best  time  for  caponizing  is  in  the  early  fall,  for  the  reason 
that  the  heat  of  summer  does  not  then  retard  recovery  and  also 
because  the  late  (June  hatched)  cockerels  are  then  of  the  best  size. 

The  best  size  is  from  two  and  a  half  to  three  pounds  weight  and 
this  would  be  about  the  weight  of  June  hatched  chickens  of  the 
American  breeds  which  if  caponized  in  September  will  be  well 
grown  and  in  good  shape  for  marketing  in  March,  the  time  of  the 
highest  prices. 

It  is  to  the  farmers,  however,  that  the  recommendation  to  capon- 
ize  their  cockerels  for  the  family  table  should  appeal  most  strongly 
for  they  are  the  class  that  would  be  most  benefited  by  having  good 
capons  to  eat.  It  is  a  simple  task  to  caponize  forty  or  fifty  birds 
and  by  that  simple  method  a  farmer  can  provide  his  family  with 
dinners  which  will  be  the  envy  of  his  less  fortunate  friends. 


114  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

The  question,  "Does  caponizing  pay?"  may  be  answered,  "Some- 
times it  does  and  sometimes  it  does  not." 

Capons  as  Brooders 

Capons  make  excellent  mothers  when  trained  to  it.  Some  breeds 
would  probably  make  more  affectionate  and  attentive  foster  mothers 
than  others.  I  can  personally  answer  for  the  Cornish  Indian  Games 
and  Plymouth  Rocks.  I  have  also  seen  beautiful  Brown  Leghorn 
capons  that  had  raised  several  broods  of  chickens.  Cockerels 
hatched  in  November,  December  and  January,  make  excellent  ca- 
pons for  brooding.  They  should  be  caponized  at  about  three  months 
of  age.  Should  be  gently  handled  and  never  frightened,  when  they 
will  become  perfectly  tame.  The  capon  with  its  changed  nature  is 
even  more  timid  than  a  hen  or  pullet,  and  for  this  reason  should  be 
separated  from  any  of  the  older  fowls  and  kindly  treated. 

Capons  should  be  trained  at  the  age  of  about  six  months.  They 
are  easier  to  train  at  this  age  than  at  any  other  time,  generally,  but 
I  have  trained  them  at  ten  months  of  age.  To  train  them,  I  keep 
the  bird  in  solitary  confinement  for  a  few  days,  placing  him  in  a 
cracker  box;  place  water,  grit  and  sand  in  the  box  the  same  as 
though  preparing  for  a  hen  and  her  brood.  After  two  or  three  soli- 
tary nights  and  days  I  put  two  little  chicks  under  him  at  night ;  they 
snuggle  up  under  him,  and  he  is  quite  glad  to  have  the  little  fel- 
lows for  company.  The  next  morning  he  will  look  a  little  surprised 
perhaps,  but  usually  takes  them  immediately,  and  soon  begins  to 
cluck  to  them  like  an  old  hen.  The  following  evening  I  put,  as 
many  as  I  intend  him  to  care  for  under  him,  and  before  going  to  bed 
at  night,  see  that  all  the  little  fellows  are  under  his  sheltering 
feathers.  My  object  in  using  a  cracker  box  is  that  it  is  about  the 
proper  height  to  make  it  uncomfortable  for  the  capon  to  stand  up- 
right and  he  will  sit  for  comfort ;  the  little  chicks  get  closer  and  make 
friends  quicker,  and  have  an  opportunity  to  nestle  under  the  capon 
as  they  would  a  hen.  This  training  should  be  done  in  pleasant 
weather,  because  the  chicks  will  not  be  hovered  at  first  as  well  by 
the  capon  as  the  hen,  and  I  use  only  a  few  chicks  the  first  time, 
because  a  young  capon  with  his  first  brood  does  not  hover  them 
like  a  trained  one. 

The  Whiskey  Treatment 

Hen-hatched  chicks  take  to  a  capon  without  any  trouble,  but 
chicks  which  have  been  several  days  in  a  brooder  seem  afraid  of 
the  capon,  and  instead  of  running  to  him  to  be  hovered,  huddle  in  a 
corner,  so  it  is  best  to  put  them  straight  from  the  incubator  under 
the  capon.  A  writer  on  this  subject  says :  "Should  one  of  the 
capons  pick  the  chicks  I  would  take  him  out  of  the  box  and  swing 
him  around  in  a  verticle  circle  at  arms'  length  until  he  was  sick, 
then  put  him  back  again.  If  he  attempts  the  same  thing  again,  I 
take  a  small  glass  syringe  and  inject  about  one  tablespoonful  of 
good  whiskey  into  his  crop  through  his  mouth,  and  after  this  treat- 
ment he  is  pretty  sure  to  take  to  the  chicks.  He  becomes  so  docile 


CAPONS  115 

that  he  allows  the  chicks  to  pick  at  his  face  and  will  not  pick  back 
at  them.  When  you  notice  this,  you  can  rest  assured  that  he  is  on 
the  right  road/' 

I  have  never  tried  the  whiskey  treatment,  and  have  never  had 
any  difficulty  in  training  a  capon.  Capons  have  proved  far  superior 
to  hens  in  brooding  chicks,  in  fact  they  excel  all  other  methods, 
either  natural  or  artificial.  The  hen,  especially  "bred-to-lay"  strain, 
deserts  her  brood  at  too  early  an  age,  and  some  hens,  especially 
the  pullets,  with  a  first  brood,  are  often  very  stupid  at  caring  for 
them.  I  have  known  a  pullet  to  hover  her  chicks  in  a  thunder 
storm  in  a  gully  where  the  water  rushed  until  they  were  nearly  all 
drowned.  Pullets  do  not  seem  to  have  sense  enough  to  "come  in 
out  of  the  rain,"  while  a  good  capon,  when  once  he  has  been  taught 
his  way  home,  will  bring  the  little  ones  to  shelter  without  any 
trouble.  The  capon  will  defend  his  little  brood  most  vigorously 
against  cats,  dogs  or  any  animal.  He  seems  to  develop  all  the  latent 
parental  affection  and  lavishes  it  on  his  young  charges  as  if  his  one 
and  only  object  in  life  was  to  care  for  them. 

When  Changing  Broods 

When  the  chicks  are  old  enough  to  take  care  of  themselves,  be- 
fore entrusting  another  brood  to  his  care,  he  should  have  a  rest  of 
at  least  two  weeks,  especially  if  the  next  brood  is  to  be  of  another 
color.  During  the  two  weeks'  rest  he  will  forget  the  color  of  the 
chicks  he  had  and  will  not  be  so  apt  to  object  to  the  ,new  ones. 
We  all  know  that  hens  will  sometimes  object  to  chicks  of  a  different 
color  and  will  oftentimes  kill  them.  When  once  trained,  a  capon  is 
very  little  trouble  and  will  care  for  brood  after  brood  without  any 
more  training  than  I  have  mentioned.  Capons  can  be  kept  over 
several  seasons.  I  have  heard  of  some  being  used  for  eight  years, 
but  mine  were  usually  fattened  and  made  a  toothsome  dish  after 
two  years'  service. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  learn  how  to  caponize.  The  tools  or  instru- 
ments necessary  are  to  be  found  at  the  poultry  supply  houses.  The 
price  for  a  set  of  instruments  is  from  $2.50  to  about  $4.00,  largely 
depending  upon  the  case  in  which  they  are  contained.  The  poultry 
supply  houses  have  books  of  instruction  for  caponizing,  and  at 
some  of  them  you  can  learn  the  names  of  persons  who,  for  a  small 
sum,  will  caponize  for  others.  It  would  be  a  good  plan  for  several 
neighbors  to  join  together  and  have  the  person  caponize  50  or  100 
in  the  same  day.  In  this  way,  it  would  make  the  price  lower. 

Capons  are  not  much  larger  than  cockerels  of  the  same  breed 
and  age.  The  difference  is  in  the  table  quality  of  the  flesh.  It  is 
juicier  and  more  tender,  just  as  steer  beef  is  superior  to  any  other 
beef. 


TURKEYS  AND  HOW  TO  RAISE  THEM 


Turkeys  have  been  called  the  "farmers'  friend/'  and  there  is  no 
doubt  that  turkey  raising  on  a  small  scale  is  more  profitable  than 
any  other  branch  of  the  poultry  industry  and  that  turkeys  will 
bring  larger  cash  returns  than  any  other  stock  upon  the  farm. 
They  cost  very  little  to  raise,  they  eat  the  waste  grain  in  the  fields 
and  barnyard,  besides  the  seed  of  many  harmful  weeds.  They 
consume  an  immense  number  of  grasshoppers,  grubs,  worms  and 
insects  which  would  otherwise  greatly  injure  the  farmers'  crops, 
and  they  are  not  difficult  to  raise  if  they  are  not  overfed. 

One  writer  asks  if  chick  feed  is  a  proper  and  safe  food  for  little 
turkeys,  and  another  requests  me  to  tell  her  exactly  how  I  feed 
and  care  for  the  little  turkeys. 

Chick  food  is  neither  a  safe  nor  a  proper  food  for  little  turkeys, 
although  it  is  a  most  excellent  food  for  little  chicks.  In  fact,  you 
may  be  sure  of  success  when  you  feed  it  to  chickens  and  failure  if 
you  feed  it  to  turkeys.  Later  on  I  will  try  to  explain  this. 

Now,  as  to  my  way  of  rearing  turkeys.  I  am  glad  to  give  it,  be- 
cause now  I  raise  every  turkey  that  is  hatched,  barring  accidents, 
as  some  will  drown  in  the  cows'  trough  and  occasionally  one  or  two 
get  stepped  on,  or  the  door  blows  on  one,  or  the  puppy  worries 
another.  None  die  from  disease. 

I  do  not  pretend  to  say  that  mine  is  the  only  way,  but  I  do  say 
that  not  only  do  I  succeed  in  raising  turkeys,  but  those  who  have 
followed  my  directions  were  as  successful  as  I  have  been,  and 
those  that  met  with  failure  did  not  follow  my  plans.  I  have  been 
criticised  as  too  fussy  and  particular  about  little  details,  but  I  think 
it  pays  to  take  good  care  of  the  little  things  for  a  few  weeks,  for 
turkeys  are  delicate  only  when  they  are  little,  and  if  properly  cared 
for  then  will  be  strong  and  hardy  when  they  mature. 

Grandmother's  Recipe 

'At  my  grandmother's  the  recipe  for  feeding  little  turkeys  was  as 
follows:  "Leave  them  in  the  nest  twenty-four  hours  or  until  the 
mother  turkey  brings  them  off ;  then  give  them  only  coarse  sand, 
and  water  to  drink.  Meanwhile  put  some  fresh  eggs  in  cold  water 
to  boil;  let  them  boil  for  half  an  hour;  then  chop  them  up,  egg- 
shells and  all,  quite  fine ;  add  an  equal  amount  of  dry  bread  crumbs, 
and  always,  always,  some  green  food  chopped  up  finely." 

Lettuce,  dandelion  or  dock  were  the  green  foods  at  grandmoth- 
er's, and  the  explanation  given  me  was  that  if  they  are  fed  without 
having  green  at  every  meal,  they  soon  become  constipated,  then  get 
sick  and  die.  The  secret  of  her  success  was  the  tender  green  food 
and  the  grit,  a  pinch  of  coarse  sand  being  sprinkled  over  the  food 
of  each  meal.  As  the  little  turkeys  grew,  a  little  cracked  wheat  and 
later  whole  wheat  was  added  to  their  food.  That  was  the  only 
grain  given.  This  was  grandmother's  recipe  for  raising  turkeys. 


TURKEYS  AND  HOW  TO  RAISE  THEM  117 

The  way  I  feed  and  have  fed  for  years  is  as  follows :  When  the 
little  turkeys  are  twenty-four  hours  old  I  put  freshly-laid  eggs  into 
cold  water  and  boil  them  for  half  an  hour;  chop  th<yn  up  fine,  shell 
and  all ;  add  equal  parts  of  bread  crumbs ;  feed  dry,  taking  away 
what  they  leave,  feeding  the  mother  separately. 

The  next  day  I  feed  the  same,  adding  very  finely  chopped  lettuce 
or  dandelion  leaves  or  green  young  mustard  leaves  and  tender 
young  onion  tops.  This  is  their  breakfast  and  supper.  For  dinner 
they  have  a  little  curd  made  from  clabber  milk,  cottage  cheese 
some  call  it.  In  a  few  days  I  add  cracked  or  whole  wheat  to  their 
supper,  and  if  I  am  short  of  bread  crumbs  I  add  rolled  breakfast 
oats  to  the  egg  and  bread  crumbs.  I  always  chop  up  an  onion  a 
day  with  the  egg,  and  bread  crumbs  unless  the  onion  tops  are 
very  young  and  tender.  Onions  are  an  excellent  tonic  for  the  liver 
and  kidneys,  and  prevent  worms  and  cure  colds;  so  I  use  onions 
freely  both  for  turkeys  and  chickens.  In  a  few  days  I  commence 
to  add  wheat  to  their  food  and  at  two  weeks  of  age  I  gradually 
arrive  at  giving  them  wheat  and  rolled  oats  for  breakfast;  in  the 
middle  of  the  forenoon  a  head  of  lettuce  to  tear  up  and  eat ;  at  noon 
cottage  cheese,  and  about  four  or  five  o'clock  their  supper  of  egg, 
bread  crumbs  or  rolled  oats,  lettuce  and  always  the  chopped  up 
onion.  |  ^  ^  ; 

I  give  them  clean  water  three  times  a  day  in  a  drinking  fountain" 
or  if  I  have  not  a  fountain  I  make  one  out  of  a  tomato  can.  Make 
a  nail  hole  in  the  can  about  half  an  inch  from  the  top,  then  fill  the 
can  up  to  the  hole  with  water,  invert  a  saucer  over  it,  and  holding 
the  saucer  tightly  to  it,  turn  it  over  quickly.  This  makes  a  good 
fountain,  for  the  water  will  come  slowly  out  of  the  nail  hole  into 
the  saucer.  I  give  the  turkeys  a  similar  fountain  of  skim  milk, 
also.  A  word  about  the  cottage  cheese.  I  am  very  particular  in 
making  it  not  to  allow  the  clabber  milk  to  become  hot.  I  use  either 
a  thermometer,  letting  the  heat  only  come  to  98  degrees,  or  I  keep 
my  finger  in  the  milk,  and  as  soon  as  it  feels  pleasantly  warm  I  take 
the  milk  off  the  fire,  pour  the  curd  into  a  cheese  cloth  bag  and  leave 
it  to  drain.  If  the  milk  scalds  or  boils,  the  curd  will  be  tough,  hard 
like  rubber  and  indigestible  enough  to  kill  turkeys  or  chickens. 

Overfed  Little  Ones 

When  I  lived  in  the  home  of  the  wild  turkey,  Oklahoma  and 
Kansas,  I  learned  much  about  the  care  of  tame  turkeys.  There 
"corn  is  king,"  but  I  was  cautioned  never  to  give  corn  to  the  young 
turkeys  until  after  they  "sport  the  red."  That  is,  until  their  heads 
and  wattles  become  red,  which  happens  at  about  three  months  of 
age.  It  was  said  that  corn  always  sours  on  their  stomachs.  It 
was  there  I  heard  of  a  man  who  brought  up  his  turkeys  on  nothing 
but  onion  tops,  curd  and  grit,  and  they  did  well. 

One  of  my  experiences  in  the  land  of  the  wild  turkey  may  serve 
as  a  warning  to  others.  I  had  a  good  old  Buff  Cochin  hen  who 
was  mothering  a  brood  of  nice  little  turkeys.  She  was  most  as- 
siduous in  her  care  of  them;  she  clucked  to  them  all  day;  called 


118  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

them  up  to  eat  all  the  time,  and  it  was  surprising  to  see  how  those 
little  fellows  grew,  when  one  after  another  they  began  to  droop 
and  die,  till  only  one  was  left.  The  other  turkeys  under  turkey 
mothers  were  doing  well,  -so  I  took  the  lone  little  one  one  night 
and  put  him  under  a  mother  turkey  out  in  the  meadow  and  saved 
his  life.  The  old  hen  had  overfed  the  others.  Chicken  hens  are 
too  anxious  to  feed  the  little  turkeys.  They  scratch  for  them, 
coax  them  to  eat,  and  the  little  turkeys  are  such  greedy,  voracious 
little  things  that  they  overeat  and  in  consequence  die.  I  prefer 
to  bring  up  little  turkeys  under  a  turkey  hen  or  even  in  a  brooder, 
rather  than  under  a  chicken  hen.  The  best  way  of  managing 
a  hen  is  to  keep  her  in  a  coop,  letting  the  little  turkeys  run  out- 
side or  else  tie  the  hen  under  a  tree  by  her  leg.  I  only  feed  the 
little  poults  three  times  a  day  just  what  they  will  eat  up  clean  in 
ten  minutes.  With  a  turkey  hen  I  can  leave  wheat  in  a  trough  al- 
ways accessible,  and  she  will  never  overfeed  the  young.  The  turkey 
mother  will  take  a  few  mouthsful  herself  and  then  move  slowly 
and  deliberately  away  and  her  babies  will  follow  her,  having  only 
taken  one  or  two  grains  each.  This  is  more  like  the  nature  of  the 
wild  turkey  and  the  nearer  to  nature  one  can  keep  in  raising  tur- 
keys, the  better  will  be  our  success. 

Nature's  wild  turkeys  are  only  hatched  in  the  spring  when  there 
are  grubs  and  worms  in  abundance,  with  plenty  of  green  grass  and 
tender  leaves  and  no  grain  but  what  is  sprouting,  and  above  all, 
Nature  never  mixes  mashes  to  turn  sour  and  ferment  on  the  little 
stomachs.  The  hard-boiled  egg  and  the  curd  take  the  place  of  the 
bugs  and  the  grubs,  for  we  cannot  supply  the  turkey  with  anything 
like  the  amount  of  grasshoppers,  grubs,  worms,  larvae  of  insects 
which  Nature  provides  in  the  haunts  of  the  wild  turkeys.  Another 
lesson  we  may  learn  from  Nature's  book :  Wild  turkeys  are  only 
to  be  found  where  there  are  springs  and  streams  of  pure  water  and 
they  never  wander  away  from  the  water.  Give  the  young  turkeys 
plenty  of  clean,  pure  water  to  drink. 

There  are  two  chief  causes  of  mortality  in  little  turkeys — lice 
and  over  feeding.  Before  giving  the  little  turkeys  to  the  mother  to 
care  for,  dust  them  well  with  "buhach,"  and  continue  to  do  this  once 
a  week  until  they  are  too  large  to  handle.  Look  for  lice  on  the 
head  and  on  the  quill  feathers  of  the  wing  and  rub  the  powder 
well  into  them.  Lice  and  over-feeding  kill  thousands  of  little  tur- 
keys. Over-feeding  kills  more  than  lice,  and  if  it  does  not  kill  them, 
it  stunts  their  growth,  and  unfortunately  until  they  begin  to  die 
at  about  six  weeks  of  age,  one  scarcely  realizes  that  they  have  been 
over-fed. 

Little  turkeys  have  voracious  appetites,  and  if  allowed  to  do 
so,  will  eat  too  much,  and  it  only  takes  a  few  weeks  for  them  to  eat 
themselves  into  their  graves. .  If  they  hunt  for  their  food,  as  the 
wild  turkeys  do,  they  take  it  leisurely,  just  what  they  can  easily 
digest,  exercising  between  each  mouthful  and  just  enough  is  di- 
gested and  goes  into  the  circulation  to  keep  them  healthy.  I  never 
feed  little  turkeys  all  they  want,  only  what  they  need,  and  I  always 
.<eep  them  a  little  hungry. 


TURKEYS  AND  HOW  TO  RAISE  THEM  119 

Keep  Liver  Healthy 

I  can  tell  you  just  how  over-fed  turkeys  will  die.  First  they  will 
walk  slowly,  lagging  behind  the  others  as  if  tired,  then  their  wings 
will  droop  and  they  will  look  sleepy  and  will  not  eat,  will  look  at 
the  food  as  if  they  wanted  it,  but  were  too  lazy  to  pick  it  up,  then 
diarrhoea  will  set  in,  the  droppings  will  become  yellow  and  some- 
times green,  and  death  will  soon  follow.  If  you  hold  a  postmortem 
examination,  as  you  should  do  over  everything  that  dies  in  the 
chicken  yard,  you  will  find  the  liver  of  these  little  turkeys  has  yel- 
low or  white  spots  on  it,  and  on  cutting  into  it,  you  may  find  that 
these  spots  are  small  ulcers  that  extend  through  it.  Sometimes 
these  ulcers  are  quite  offensive.  This  comes  from  over-feeding, 
which  gives  the  liver  more  work  than  it  can  do  and  it  breaks  down. 

The  liver  is  the  largest  organ  in  the  turkey's  body,  and  it  seems 
to  be  the  most  delicate.  If  you  can  keep  that  healthy,  you  will  have 
healthy  turkeys.  Onion  and  dandelion  leaves  are  tonics  for  the 
liver  and  the  green  food  keeps  it  healthy,  whilst  the  animal  food 
and  a  small  amount  of  cereal  will  make  the  frame  of  the  turkey. 

Suppose  you  should  see  one  little  turkey  in  the  brood  begin- 
ning to  walk  slowly,  what  should  you  do?  I  will  tell  you  what  I 
would  do.  I  would  catch  that  little  turkey  and  give  a  Carter's 
Little  Liver  Pill  and  follow  this  the  next  day  with  a  little  Epsom 
salts  for  the  whole  flock,  and  cut  off  some  of  the  grain  in  the  feed. 
You  will  probably  save  the  flock,  but  they  may  be  stunted  in  their 
growth,  and  their  liver  many  months  later  may  break  down  from 
being  weakened  by  that  first  attack  of  liver  trouble. 

Chick  Feed  for  Turkeys 

Now  about  the  chick  feed.  It  is  composed  of  a  number  of  differ- 
ent grains.  Some  of  these  grains  are  extremely  difficult  of  digestion 
for  turkeys.  The  chief  of  these  are  cracked  corn,  Kaffir  corn,  Egyp- 
tian corn,  sorghum  seed,  millet,  etc.  I  could  scarcely  believe  this 
until  I  had  occular  demonstration  of  it.  Then  I  discovered  that 
cracked  corn  did  not  commence  to  digest  in  the  crop;  the  gastric 
juice  of  the  crop  does  not  seem  to  have  any  influence  on  it.  It 
passes  through  the  crop  and  on  through  the  proventriculus  to  the 
gizzard,  arriving  there  hard  and  not  in  the  least  softened  or  digested, 
and  there  it  commences  to  ferment,  causing  diarrhoea  or  else  pass- 
ing away  without  digesting.  I  am  not  scientific  enough  to  know 
the  reason  for  this  nor  why  wheat  should  be  softened  in  the  crop  and 
partly  digested  before  reaching  the  gizzard,  but  I  know  that  it  is 
so.  They  told  me  in  Kansas  that  corn  soured  on  the  turkeys' 
stomachs,  but  it  does  not  exactly  sour,  it  ferments— and  there  is 
where  the  trouble  comes  in. 

Sour  milk  is  sour,  but  this  is  from  lactic  acid,  and  lactic  acid 
seems  beneficial  to  turkeys,  whilst  the  souring  of  grains,  bran, 
cereals  of  any  kind,  or  cornmeal  is  a  ferment,  and  ferments  are 
very  injurious  to  fowls  of  all  kinds,  and  especially  so  to  turkeys. 

Mrs.  Charles  Jones,  the  best  authority  on  turkeys  in  the  United 
States,  agrees  with  me  about  feeding  turkeys.  She  writes : 


120  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

"A  diet  of  part  corn  agrees  with  chickens,  but  I  have  never  yet 
fed  corn  in  any  form  to  young  turkeys  but  that  sooner  or  later  they 
would  give  up  the  unequal  contest.  A  little  neighbor  girl  that  had 
a  great  deal  of  the  care  of  turkeys  said  the -least  little  bit  of  corn 
meal  makes  them  die.  She  had  learned  this  by  watching  them  as 
she  fed  them." 

1100  Gleaning  Wheat 

It  was  my  privilege  to  visit  a  turkey  ranch  in  the  San  Joaquin 
Valley  some  time  ago  and  what  I  saw  there  made  me  wonder  that 
there  are  so  few  large  turkey  ranches  in  California. 

There  were  over  1100  beautiful  turkeys  gleaning  the  wheat  over 
many  acres  of  stubble.  These  great  turkeys  had  been  hatched  near 
the  barn  in  shed-like  coops,  under  turkey  hens.  They  were  kept 
in  the  yard  until  about  five  or  six  weeks  old,  when  they  were  driven 
out  with  their  mothers  upon  the  wheat  stubble  to  rustle  for  their 
living,  to  pick  up  the  wheat  that  would  otherwise  be  lost.  All  these 
turkeys  roosted  in  the  open  air  and  to  this  and  the  simple  life, 
working  for  and  finding  their  own  living,  may  be  attributed  their 
healthiness. 

There  are  many  beautiful  valleys  in  California  where  turkeys 
may  be  grown  to  great  advantage  by  the  hundreds  and  even  thou- 
sands, but  even  on  small  ranches  a  few  may  be  kept. 


MORE  ABOUT  TURKEYS 


There  is  no  need  for  any  sickness  amongst  turkeys  whatever  in 
California,  if  they  are  properly  cared  for,  and  I  think  eventually 
California  will  supply  the  Eastern  States  with  their  Thanksgiving 
and  Christmas  dinners,  for  they  have  there  a  disease  among  turkeys 
which  is  so  serious  that  it  is  decimating,  and,  in  some  places,  wiping 
out  whole  flocks  of  turkeys.  The  disease  is  called  "Blackhead,"  as 
the  head  in  some  instances  turns  black  or  dark  colored  before  or 
at  the  time  of  death. 

The  Oregon  Experiment  Station  has  recently  issued  Bulletin 
No.  95,  by  E.  F.  Pernot,  on  Disease  of  Turkeys.  This  bulletin  con- 
tains information  of  very  great  importance  to  the  turkey  raisers  of 
the  state.  It  treats  the  subject  of  Blackhead,  explaining  the  cause 
of  this  disease,  the  symptoms,  and  treatment.  This  bulletin,  which 
may  be  obtained  free  on  application  to  the  Experiment  Station, 
Corvallis,  Oregon,  should  be  in  the  hands  of  every  turkey  breeder 
in  the  state. 

In  sections  of  the  East,  Blackhead  has  almost  wiped  out  the 
turkeys,  and  the  same  thing  is  liable  to  happen  in  this  state  if 
proper  measures  are  not  taken  to  prevent  it. 

I  give  here  a  brief  summary  of  Prof.  Pernot's  bulletin : 


MORE  ABOUT  TURKEYS  121 

Symptoms — Diarrhoea  is  the  most  pronounced  symptom.  The 
discharges  are  frequent,  thin,  watery,  and  generally  of  a  yellowish 
color.  This,  however,  sometimes  occurs  from  othe*r  intestinal  dis- 
orders, and  does  not  alone  signify  the  presence  of  the  malady.  The 
next  symptom  is  the  drooping  tail,  followed  by  a  drooping  of 
the  wings,  after  which  death  soon  ensues.  When  the  disease  is  at 
its  height,  the  head  assumes  a  dark  color,  hence  the  name,  Black- 
head. Young  turkeys  are  much  more  susceptible  or  they  may  be 
more  delicate,  and  cannot  withstand  the  invasion  of  the  parasites 
so  well.  They  begin  by  moping  and  bunching  up  as  though  they 
were  cold,  diarrhoea  soon  sets  in,  the  tails  droop,  then  the  wings 
droop,  and  they  go  about  uttering  a  pitiful  "peep,"  after  which  they 
soon  die.  A  blackening  of  the  head  does  not  always  occur. 

It  is  only  by  careful  post  mortem  that  the  true  cause  of  the  dis- 
ease may  be  determined. 

The  Cause — The  disease  is  caused  by  animal  parasites,  which 
can  be  detected  only  by  the  aid  of  a  microscope.  Because  of  their 
minuteness  and  growth  in  the  mucous  membranes  of  the  digestive 
tract,  they  are  easily  carried  by  the  excreta  to  food,  which  upon  be- 
coming contaminated,  transmits  them  to  other  fowls.  This  is  the 
usual  means  of  infection. 

Remedies — Food  given  to  fowls  should  never  come  in  contact 
with  their  droppings,  as  one  bird  with  the  disease  will  infect  the 
feeding  ground  of  others.  Better  sacrifice  the  bird  at  once  than 
run  the  risk  of  spreading  the  infection  to  the  whole  flock.  A  sick 
bird  should  be  removed  from  the  flock  and  placed  in  close  quarters, 
which  may  afterwards  be  disinfected,  or  the  bird  may  be  killed  at 
once  and  then  should  be  burned.  Medical  treatment  is  not  very 
successful,  owing  to  the  difficulty  of  reaching  the  parasites  at  the 
seat  of  the  disease;  yet  treating  them  with  some  of  the  following 
remedies  is  well  worth  the  trouble :  Sulphur,  5  grains ;  sulphate  of 
iron,  1  grain ;  sulphate  of  quinine,  1  grain.  Place  this  amount  in 
capsules  and  administer  one  night  and  morning  to  each  turkey  for 
a  week.  If  the  bird  does  not  respond  to  treatment,  kill  it  at  once 
without  drawing  blood,  and  then  burn  the  carcass,  disinfecting  the 
coop. 

A  solution  of  carbolic  acid  prepared  by  mixing  five  parts  of  the 
acid  to  100  parts  of  water  makes  a  good  disinfecting  solution,  or 
chloride  of  lime,  5  ounces  to  1  gallon  of  water,  is  good.  Corrosive 
sublimate  in  the  strength  of  1  ounce  to  eight  gallons  of  water,  is  a 
strong  disinfectant,  and  may  be  used  with  a  broom  or  spray  to  wet 
every  part  of  the  coop  and  floor,  but  it  is  poisonous  and  must  be 
handled  with  great  care.  To  disinfect  the  entire  premises  when  the 
fowls  are  running  at  large  is  impracticable ;  but  lime  should  be  used 
freely  on  the  droppings  beneath  where  they  roost.  When  the  dis- 
ease becomes  seriously  destructive,  it  is  more  than  likely  all  the 
flock  are  affected,  and  it  may  be  necessary  to  destroy  all  the  re- 
maining birds  and  disinfect  the  premises  as  thoroughly  as  possible. 
In  such  cases  it  would  be  better  to  suspend  the  raising  of  turkeys 
for  one  year, 


122  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

Liver  Complaint 

Personally  I  have  only  met  once  with  a  case  in  California  which 
might  be  called  Blackhead.  I  have  seen  many  cases  of  common 
liver  complaint,  and  by  my  directions  others  have  succeeded  in 
curing  many  of  these. 

Dr.  Salmon  tells  us  that  the  seat  of  the  disease  called  Blackhead 
is  in  the  caeca.  The  caeca  is  sometimes  called  the  blind  bowel ; 
it  is  a  sort  of  "appendix"  in  the  turkey,  having  no  outlet.  It  is  two 
lobes  of  bowel  united  by  a  ribbon  of  fat  (the  pancreas).  In  Black- 
head and  also  in  some  cases  of  liver  complaint,  an  abscess  forms  in 
one  or  both  caeca,  but  this  can  only  be  discovered  after  death,  and 
I  have  only  found  it  in  a  post  mortem  of  one  turkey.  The  fact  is,  I 
have  been  so  very  "lucky"  in  raising  turkeys  that  now  I  rarely 
even  see  a  sick  turkey,  and  I  have  many  letters  from  our  readers 
telling  me  they  have  cured  their  turkeys  by  my  directions,  so  I  will 
repeat  them  again  for  the  benefit  of  new  comers. 

First,  liver  complaint  comes  from  wrong  feeding,  or  over-feed- 
ing, which  has  overworked  the  liver;  secondly,  Blackhead  comes 
from  a  parasite;  thirdly,  the  symptoms  of  both  diseases  are  almost 
exactly  the  same  in  the  first  stages.  Dr.  Cushman,  in  discussing 
this  matter,  decided  that  when  the  bright  yellow  diarrhoea  comes 
on,  showing  liver  trouble,  the  remedy  is  "something  bitter  and 
something  sour."  This  is  easy  to  remember.  He  also  recommends 
no  food  but  green  food  and  says  that  turkeys  have  been  known  to 
cure  themselves  by  living  on  acorns. 

My  remedy  is  first  a  liver  pill  followed  by  quinine  for  a  week, 
and  sour  milk  and  no  food  but  onions  and  green  alfalfa  or  grass, 
keeping  this  up  until  cured. 

I  have  a  letter  from  a  successful  turkey  raiser  of  Long  Beach, 
near  Los  Angeles.  She  writes:  "I  wish  to  tell  you  my  experience 
with  liver  sick  turkeys.  I  had  a  gobbler  weighing  eighteen  or 
twenty  pounds,  and  I  made  the  mistake  so  many  do  of  allowing 
turkeys  and  chickens  to  run  together;  my  experience  is  that  tur- 
keys, especially  toms,  will  not  stand  such  quantities  of  food  that 
hens  do.  Well,  he  got  very  sick,  so  bad  he  was  as  light  as  a  feather, 
and  my  cure,  which  never  fails — was  administered — a  bottle  of  Ja- 
maica ginger  and  a  bottle  of  liquozone  were  procured.  I  put  him  in 
a  clean,  large  coop  and  he  lay  on  a  bed  of  straw  for  days,  so  weak 
he  could  not  stand.  The  first  day  I  gave  him  one  teaspoonful  of  the 
ginger  and  one  teaspoonful  of  the  liquozone  mixed  and  diluted  until 
it  was  not  too  strong,  giving  two  or  three  spoons  every  hour  of  the 
diluted.  The  next  day  giving  it  three  times  a  day ;  after  that  twice 
a  day.  I  did  not  allow  him  anything  to  eat,  but  of  an  evening  gave 
him  the  smallest  sized  capsule  of  quinine.  Kept  that  up  until  he 
began  to  get  good  and  hungry,  then  fed  him  a  few  grains  of  wheat, 
only  about  six  grains,  and  a  little  speck  of  alfalfa.  I  have  found  that 
feed  kills  them  every  time  when  they  are  so  sick.  I  never  fail  to 
cure  the  worst  cases  if  I  treat  them  like  I  tell  you.  Then  if  they 
hump  up  again  and  begin  to  get  sick  again,  I  give  them  a  dose  in 


MORE  ABOUT  TURKEYS 


123 


the  evening.     The  ginger  warms  them  up  and  starts  circulation, 
and  the  liquozone  kills  the  germs." 

Liquozone  is  very  acid,  it  tastes  like  sulphuric  .acid  and  water, 
and  I  have  no  doubt  that  my  friend's  cure  is  a  good  one.  Remem- 
ber, Dr.  Cushman  says  "something  bitter  and  something  sour," 
and  if  your  turkeys  get  sick,  try  it  immediately. 


A  Magnificent  White  Holland  Tom 


Goodacre's  Ducks  at  Home 
DUCKS  AND  THEIR  VARIETIES 

In  the  springtime  of  the  year  in  the-East  the  big  duck  ranches 
hatch  ducks  by  the  hundreds  of  thousands,  but  in  California,  or 
at  least  in  the  neighborhood  of  Los  Angeles,  there  are  not  such 
large  ranches,  and  ducks  do  not  seem  as  popular.  Probably  some 
farmers  have  had  a  few  in  their  yard  at  some  \time,  just  to  give 
them  a  trial,  and  have  found  them  a  continual  nuisance,  as  they 
greedily  eat  the  whole  allowance  of  food  from  expectant  chickens 
and  dabble  in  their  drinking  vessels,  so  they  have  tox^e  continually 
cleaned  and  replenished,  and  with  great  injustice  to  the  ducks,  they 
have  let  this  prejudice  them,  where  if  they  had  kept  the  ducks 
separate,  they  would  have  found  them  easier  to  raise  than  chickens. 

Ducks  grow  faster  and  are  ready  for  the  market  earlier  than 
chickens ;  they  are  not  troubled  by  the  diseases  of  hens,  neither  do 
they  have  lice,  except  if  raised  under  a  hen  when  very  young,  be- 
fore the  feathers  grow,  the  gray  head-lice  may  get  on  their  heads, 
crawl  into  their  ears  and  kill  them,  but  this  is  before  they  feather 
out.  Mosquitoes  which  are  very  troublesome  in  some  places  to  the 
chickens,  causing  great  mortality,  never  trouble  ducks,  neither  do 
fleas  or  ticks.  I  think  the  reason  for  their  immunity  from  vermin 
is  that  their  feathers  are  very  oily  and  thick  and  the  down  under  the 
feathers  is  an  extra  protection.  Hens  require  a  dust  bath,  while 
ducks  require  a  water  bath  to  keep  them  clean  and  healthy. 

Most  of  the  popular  varieties  of  ducks  can  be  raised  and  bred 
without  water  to  swim  in,  but  on  the  very  large  duck  ranches  a 


DUCKS  AND  THEIR  VARIETIES  125 

supply  of  running  water  so  that  they  may  have  fresh  water  to  drink 
and  a  bathing  place  for  the  breeding  ducks  is  a  great  advantage. 

Ducks  should  be  kept  entirely  away  from  chickens  and  turkeys, 
as  they  pollute  water  so  badly  it  makes  the  other  fowls  sick.  I 
found  on  my  small  ranch  where  there  was  only  water  piped  in, 
after  trying  various  plans  for  watering  the  ducks,  an  easy  and  con- 
venient way.  I  had  a  barrel  sawed  in  two,  two-thirds  and  one- 
third.  I  knocked  the  head  out  of  the  larger  end  and  buried  that 
part,  making  it  deep  enough  so  the  top  of  the  barrel  was  just  below 
the  ground;  any  box  with  no  bottom  would  do  as  well.  The  one- 
third  of  the  barrel  had  a  bunghole  in  the  bottom.  This  one-third 
barrel  I  placed  over  the  sunken  one.  I  had  a  broom  handle  which 
fitted  into  the  bunghole  and  every  day  I  let  the  dirty  water  run 
through  it  into  the  bottomless  barrel  and  it  soaked  away.  In  this 
manner  I  gave  my  ducks  fresh  water  and  a  clean  bath  every  day. 
I  found  if  I  sawed  the  barrel  exactly  in  half,  it  made  the  top  part 
deeper  than  I  wanted,  and  the  bottom  not  deep  enough. 

The  Varieties 

I  have  successfully  bred  the  following  most  popular  breeds  of 
ducks  and  think  a  slight  review  of  them  may  be  interesting  and 
helpful  to  beginners :  The  Aylesbury,  Pekin,  Indian  Runner,  Buff 
Orpington  Duck  and  the  Muscovy. 

The  Aylesbury 

The  Aylesbury,  called  after  a  town  in  Buckingham,  England,  are 
about  a  pound  heavier  than  the  Pekin.  The  standard  weights  be- 
ing, drake,  9  Ibs. ;  duck,  8  Ibs. ;  young  drake,  8  Ibs. ;  young  duck,  7 
Ibs.  Their  color  is  pure  white,  with  pinkish-white  beak  and  shanks. 
They  are  extremely  popular  in  England  and  are  hardy  and  vigorous. 
There  are  not  many  breeders  of  them  in  this  country,  but  an  Eng- 
lishmen, Mr.  V.  G.  Huntley  of  Petaluma,  who  has  imported  some 
exceedingly  fine  Aylesbury  ducks  from  England,  says  he  has  a 
large  demand  for  them,  as  they  are  a  rarity  in  this  country.  He 


Aylesbury  Drake 


126  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

considers  their  flesh  better  than  that  of  any  other  variety  of  ducks. 
In  plumage  the  Aylesbury  are  a  pure  spotless  white,  with  hard, 
close  feathers  that  glisten  in  the  sunlight  like  satin.  The  ad- 
vantages claimed  for  this  breed  are  the  easiness  with  which  it  is 
acclimated,  its  early  maturing,  its  great  hardiness,  its  large  size, 
being  heavier  than  any  except  the  Rouen,  its  great  prolificacy  and 
its  beauty. 

The  Pekin 

The  Pekin  is  undoubtedly  the  most  popular  breed  on  the  large 
duck  ranches  in  the  East,  where  thousands  of  them  are  fattened  and 
turned  off  every  season.  This  breed  is  variously  called  the  Imperial 
"Pekin  and  the  Mammoth  Pekin  and  Rankin's  Pekin.  It  was 
brought  to  this  country  from  China  in  the  early  seventies  and  im- 
mediately took  the  first  place  as  the  most  prolific  and  rapidly  grow- 
ing duck  on  the  market.  In  shape  and  carriage  the  Pekin  has  a  dis- 
tinct type  of  its  own,  which  by  some  is  described  as  resembling  an 
Indian  canoe,  from  the  keel-like  shape  and  the  turned-up  tail. 
Though  Pekin  ducks  may  not  merit  all  that  is  claimed  for  them  by 
enthusiastic  breeders,  it  is  certain  that  the  duck  business  could 
not  have  attained  its  present  proportion  without  the  Pekin  duck, 
and  that  as  a  market  duck  this  breed  takes  the  lead.  They  are 
hardy,  quick  growers,  thrive  in  close  confinement,  and  are  ready 
to  market  at  ten  weeks  of  age.  The  plumage  is  soft,  more  downy 
than  that  of  other  varieties  and  is  of  a  creamy  white  in  color.  The 
beak  is  of  a  deep  orange  yellow,  and,  according  to  Standard,  should 
be  free  from  black  marks.  The  shanks  and  toes  are  reddish  orange 
color. 


DUCKS  AND  THEIR  VARIETIES  127 

All  ducks  are  of  a  timid  disposition,  and  the  Pekin  more  so  than 
those  of  other  breeds ;  in  fact,  they  will  injure  themselves  so  badly 
f  frightened  by  cat,  dog  or  a  stranger,  or  by  being'caught  up,  that 
they  may  have  to  be  killed.  A  fright,  if  not  fatal,  will  take  off 
several  days  growth  of  the  young,  and  stop  the  laying  of  the  adult 
ducks. 

The  Indian  Runner 

Many  years  ago  Indian  Runners  were  brought  from  India  to 
England  by  a  sea  captain,  hence  the  name  "Indian,"  while  the  "Run- 
ners" came  from  their  great  agility.  They  do  not  waddle  like  other 


Indian  Runner  Duck 

ducks,  but  run  more  like  a  plover,  and  are  very  quick  in  their  move- 
ments. In  England  their  good  qualities  quickly  captivated  the 
thrifty  farmers.  Individual  ducks  there  have  made  a  record  of  225 
eggs  per  annum.  Here  in  California  I  had  ten  ducks  which  laid 
2331  eggs  in  one  year.  I  think  the  climate  of  California  more  nearly 
resembles  that  of  their  native  land,  and  their  laying  is  never  checked 
by  cold  or  snow,  so  that  here  they  lay  better  than  in  England  or 
the  Eastern  States.  In  India  they  were  bred  for  their  laying  and 
table  qualities,  no  attention  being  paid  to  the  color  of  their  plum- 
age; all  the  Indians  cared  for  was  the  eggs,  and  they  layed  eggs 
galore.  English  breeders  claim  that  eight-year-old  ducks  of  this 
breed  will  lay  as  well  as  yearlings,  and  on  this  account,  and  their 
capacity  for  foraging,  they  have  become  very  popular  in  England 
and  Australia. 

While  the  weight  of  the  matured  Pekin  is  greater  than  that  of 
the  Indian  Runner,  there  is  more  meat  in  proportion  to  their  weight 


128  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

in  the  Runners  on  account  of  the  smallness  of  the  bones ;  the  meat 
is  also  of  a  much  finer  quality,  finely  grained  and  juicy  and  re- 
sembling in  flavor  the  much  extolled  canvas-back  duck.  The  eggs 
of  the  Indian  Runner  are  an  ivy  white  in  color,  greatly  resembling 
Minorca  eggs,  very  delicate  in  taste,  and  in  England  their  eggs  are 
in  great  demand  in  the  tuberculosis  sanitariums  on  account  of  their 
delicate  flavor,  richness  and  nutritive  value,  and  absolute  freedom 
from  tuberculosis  taint,  and  there  is  a  higher  price  paid  for  them 
than  the  hen's  eggs. 

The  standard  color  of  the  Indian  Runners  in  this  country  is  fawn 
and  white.  In  England  they  also  have  the  black  and  white,  the 
brown  and  white  and  the  pure  white. 

The  Rouen 

The  Rouen  duck,  so  named  for  a  city  in  Normandy,  where  they 
are  supposed  to  have  originated,  are  still  bred  there  in  large  num- 
bers. The  Rouen  duck  is  a  fine  market  bird,  but  does  not  mature 
as  early  as  the  Pekin  or  Aylesbury.  It  is  easily  fattened,  hardy  and 
quiet  in  disposition  and  not  as  nervous  as  the  Pekin. 

The  Rouen  drake  is  a  magnificent  colored  bird.  Neck  and  head 
are  irridescent  green,  breast  wine  color  and  the  lower  part  of  the 
body  delicate  steel  gray,  penciled  with  very  fine  black  lines.  About 
June  a  remarkable  change  takes  place  in  the  drake.  He  begins  to 
lose  his  lustrous  feathers,  those  of  the  neck  dropping  out,  being  re- 
placed by  feathers  of  a  russet  brown.  The  magnificently  colored 
drake  is  clothed  in  sober  hues  for  the  summer.  In  October  he  again 
resumes  his  gorgeous  raiment. 

The  Buff  Orpington 

Buff  Orpington  ducks  are  a  breed  of  Mr.  William  Cook's  mak- 
ing. He  named  them  as  he  did  the  Orpington  hens,  after  his  own 
place  in  Kent,  England.  The  color  of  the  Buff  Orpingtons  is  a  soft 
shade  of  buff,  the  drakes  having  rich  brown  heads.  The  Buff  Or- 
pington has  a  good  deal  of  the  Indian  Runner  blood  in  it,  and  from 
this  source  its  laying  qualities  are  gathered.  Mr.  Cook  claims  they 
are  better  layers  than  any  other  of  the  duck  family.  Many  of  them 
lay  a  beautiful  green  egg,  although  a  greenish-white  is  the  usual 
color.  These  ducks  weigh  a  pound  and  a  half  more  than  the  Indian 
Runner,  are  large  and  more  plump  birds,  maturing  early,  and  one 
of  the  best  market  birds. 

The  Muscovy 

The  Muscovy  Duck  is  not  largely  bred  in  this  country.  They 
are  not  like  any  other  ducks  and  do  not  interbreed  with  others. 
It  is  a  native  of  South  America,  where  it  may  still  be  found  in  its 
wild  state.  It  comes  in  two  varieties,  white  and  black  and  white. 
The  males  are  much  larger  than  the  females.  I  had  one  weighing 
fourteen  pounds.  Both  sexes  have  caruncles  at  the  base  of  the  beak ; 
these  become  larger  every  year,  giving  them  a  vulture-like  appear- 
ance. Muscovy  ducks  are  rather  awkward  in  the  water,  preferring 


DUCKS  AND  THEIR  VARIETIES  129 

to  live  on  the  land.  They  are  pugnacious  and  ill-tempered,  and, 
although  they  have  web-feet,  they  have  very  sharp  claws  that  can, 
and  do,  scratch  in  a  most  unpleasant  way.  They  are  strong  on  the 
wing,  flying  easily  over  the  barn,  and  they  like  to  perch  on  the  roof. 
They  are  good  setters,  and  their  eggs  take  thirty-five  days  to 
incubate. 

Hatching  and  Brooding 

The  first  thing  the  amateur  needs  is  first-class  breeding  stock  or 
eggs  of  the  same.  There  is  sure  to  be  sad  loss  among  young  duck- 
lings, bred  from  debilitated  stock.  Good  stock  should  be  secured 
to  start  with,  and  when  properly  fed  and  cared  for,  there  need  be  no 
fear  of  loss. 

A  good  incubator  carefully  operated  without  variation  of  tem- 
perature should  receive  the  eggs.  They  take  twenty-eight  days  to 
hatch.  Duck  eggs  will  hatch  well  in  any  of  the  standard  incu- 
bators ;  they  require  more  airing  than  do  the  eggs  of  the  hen,  and  I 
have  found  that  by  sprinkling  them  every  other  day,  after  the  first 
week,  I  was  sure  of  a  good  hatch.  Sprinkle  the  eggs,  or  moisten 
them  thoroughly,  with  warm  water,  when  they  are  out  of  the  ma- 
chine, and  do  not  put  the  water  in  the  incubator.  I  found  this  much 
the  best  plan.  I  think  wetting  the  shell  of  the  egg  helps  to  soften 
it  and  make  it  more  brittle,  enabling  the  duck  to  break  its  way  out 
easily.  I  also  do  this  when  hatching  duck  eggs  under  hens. 

A  brooder  adapted  to  chicks  will  answer  equally  well  for  ducks. 
The  little  fellows  should  be  at  least  thirty-six  hours  old  before 
taken  from  the  incubator  and  placed  in  the  brooder,  which  should 
be  previously  prepared  for  them  by  placing  a  board  about  ten  inches 
wide  a  few  inches  from  the  front  of  the  brooder  forming  a  very 
small  yard  with  a  little  water  fountain  so  arranged  that  they  can 
get  their  bills  in  but  not  their  bodies.  The  birds  should  be  con- 
fined to  this  small  space  in  front  of  the  brooder  for  the  first  day, 
or  until  they  have  learned  the  way  into  the  hover.  Bed  the  little 
fellows  with  hay,  chaff  or  cut  straw.  Keep  the  pens  clean  both  out- 
side and  in.  The  welfare  of  the  ducklings  depend  upon  this.  Be 
sure  to  give  them  shade. 


Mr.  James  Rankin  has  been  called  the  father  of  the  duck  indus- 
try in  America.  He  and  a  number  of  others  in  the  East  are  now 
hatching  by  the  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands.  He  writes: 
"With  us  it  is  the  surest  crop  we  can  grow;  it  makes  the  best 
returns  of  any  crop  on  the  farm." 

As  he  is  a  noted  expert  in  the  business  I  cannot  do  better  than 
give  his  directions  for  raising  the  ducks  and  his  formulas  for  feed- 
ing at  the  different  ages.  I  have  tried  them  myself  and  do  not 
think  they  can  be  improved  upon. 

Feeding 

The  first  food  should  consist  of  bread  or  cracker-crumbs  slightly 
moistened  and  about  10  per  cent  of  hard  boiled  eggs  chopped  fine, 
shell  and  all ;  mix  in  this  food  five  per  cent  of  coarse  sand.  Do  not 


130  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

place  grit  by  them  and  expect  them  to  eat  it,  but  mix  the  sand  in 
their  food  and  so  compel  them  to  eat  it  as  it  is  the  most  essential 
part  of  the  whole  thing. 

Scatter  the  food  on  a  board,  place  the  young  ducklings  on  it  and 
they  will  be  busily  eating  it  within  ten  minutes.  One  hundred  to 
one  hundred  and  fifty  ducks  can  be  put  in  one  brooder  six  feet  long. 
When  two  or  three  weeks  old,  not  more  than  seventy-five  should  be 
kept  in  one  brooder.  The  heat  under  the  hover  should  be  kept  at 
about  90  degrees  for  the  first  day  or  two,  when  it  should  be  grad- 
ually reduced  as  the  ducks  grow  older.  In  the  climate  of  Southern 
California,  ducklings  rarely  require  brooder  heat  more  than  two 
weeks. 

The  second  day  rolled  oats  and  bran  can  be  added  to  the  food; 
a  little  finely  cut  clover,  lettuce  or  cabbage  can  now  be  safely  used. 
At  ten  days  feed  one-fourth  corn  meal,  the  rest  wheat  bran  with  a 
little  rolled  oats  mixed  in,  not  forgetting  the  grit,  about  ten  per  cent 
of  ground  beef  scraps,  and  the  same  of  green  food.  At  six  weeks 
Quaker  oats,  grit  and  ten  per  cent  beef  scraps ;  at  eight  weeks  old 
feed  equal  parts  of  bran  and  corn  meal  with  a  little  Quaker  oats, 
grit  and  beef  scraps,  but  no  green  food. 

The  birds  should  be  ready  for  the  market  at  ten  weeks  old. 
They  should  be  fed  four  times  a  day  until  six  weeks  old,  then  three 
times  is  sufficient.  They  should  be  watered  only  when  fed  until 
six  weeks  old,  then  they  should  be  watered  between  meals  also. 
Feed  at  each  meal  all  they  will  eat  up  clean,  then  take  the  remain- 
der away;  keep  the  pens  dry  and  clean  and  be  sure  you  give  them 
shade. 

For  breeding  birds,  old  and  young,  during  the  summer  and  fall, 
when  they  are  not  laying — feed  three  parts  wheat  bran,  one  part 
Quaker  oat  feed,  one  part  corn  meal,  five  per  cent  beef  scraps 
ground  fine,  and  five  per  cent  grit,  and  all  the  green  feed  they  will 
eat  in  the  shape  of  corn  fodder  cut  fine,  clover,  or  oat  fodder,  or 
alfalfa.  Feed  this  mixture  twice  a  day,  all  they  will  eat. 

For  laying  birds — equal  parts  of  wheat  bran  and  corn  meal, 
twenty  per  cent  of  Quaker  oat  feed,  ten  per  cent  of  boiled  turnips 
or  potatoes,  fifteen  per  cent  of  clover  rowen,  alfalfa,  green  rye  or 
refuse  cabbage  chopped  fine  and  five  per  cent  of  grit.  Feed  twice  a 
day  all  they  will  eat,  with  a  lunch  of  corn  .and  oats  at  noon ;  keep 
grit  and  crushed  oyster  shells  before  them  all  the  time. 

Mr.  Rankin  adds :  "I  wish  to  emphasize  several  points.  Do  not 
forget  the  grit,  it  is  absolutely  essential.  Never  feed  more  than  a 
little  bird  will  eat  up  clean.  Keep  them  a  little  hungry.  See  that 
the  pens  and  yards  are  sweet  and  clean,  for  though  ducklings  may 
stand  more  neglect  than  chicks,  remember  that  they  will  not  thrive 
in  filth.  If  any  one  fails  in  the  duck  business,  it  must  be  through 
his  own  incompetency  and  neglect." 

Mr.  Rankin  has  his  yards  swept  twice  a  week.  These  sweep- 
ings amount  to  many  tons  each  season,  and  are  spread  evenly  over 
his  grass  farm,  giving  enormous  crops  of  good  hay,  so  that  where, 
twenty  years  ago,  only  six  tons  of  hay  were  cut,  now  the  crop  is 
125  tons.  - 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  GEESE 

Geese  are,  of  all  fowls,  easiest  to  raise  where  grass  is  abundant, 
for  they  are  grazing  animals.  Among  the  various  breeds  raised  in 
this  country  the  Toulouse  is  the  most  profitable  goose  to  raise.  It 
grows  the  largest,  matures  the  quickest  and  is  not  so  much  of  a 
rambler  or  flyer  as  the  other  varieties,  and  as  it  does  not  take  so 
readily  to  water  it  grows  more  rapidly  and  accumulates  flesh  faster 
than  other  varieties,  and  is  not  so  noisy. 

There  seems  to  be  a  steady  demand  for  the  beautiful  large,  gray 
Toulouse  variety.  They  deserve  every  word  of  praise  given  them. 
They  have  been  known  to  live  to  a  great  old  age.  I  have  had  a 
friend  in  England  who  had  a  goose  that  had  been  more  than  a 
hundred  years  in  the  same  familyj  and  even  at  that  age  produced 
as  many  fertile  eggs  as  any  in  the  flock.  In  fact,  that  goose 
had  more  broods  each  year  than  any  other  goose  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. 

There  are  many  points  about  raising  geese  that  can  be  learned 
only  by  experience  and  a  little  practice  is  worth  a  world  of  theory. 
Intelligent  and  systematic  breeding  is  sure  to  bring  both  pleasure 
and  profit  to  the  breeder. 

Hatching  and  Feeding 

For  hatching  goose  eggs,  if  setting  hens  are  used,  keep  them  free 
from  lice  by  dusting  with  insect  powder  every  week,  and  put  from 
four  to  six  goose  eggs  under  every  hen.  After  eight  days  test-out, 
leaving  four  fertile  eggs  under  every  hen  to  hatch.  Goose  eggs 
should  be  sprinkled  every  fourth  day  after  the  twelfth,  with  warm 
water.  In  hot,  dry  weather,  float  them  in  water  for  one  and  a  half 
to  two  and  a  half  minutes.  If  incubators  are  used,  float  always. 
At  the  last  float  hold  the  pip  up  so  as  not  to  drown  the  gosling 
inside  the  egg.  If  the  gosling  remains  and  dries  in  the  shell,  it 
should  be  helped  out.  Break  away  a  little  of  the  shell,  and  if  the 
lining  does  not  bleed  the  gosling  is  ready  to  come  out.  Ring  out 
a  cloth  in  water  as  hot  as  you  can  bear  your  hands  in,  wrap  the  egg 
in  the  cloth  and  leave  for  a  few  minutes.  You  will  find  the  gosling 
will  come  out  bright  and  clean.  Keep  the  goslings  warm  until  they 
are  dry  and  can  run  around.  When  they  are  twenty-four  hours  eld 
put  them  in  a  box,  the  bottom  covered  with  sand,  and  feed  them 
often  with  a  crumbly  mash  of  one-third  corn  meal,  two-thirds  bran 
and  a  pinch  of  sand. 

Goslings  are  Healthy 

No  other  young  in  the  whole  tribe  of  domestic  poultry  is  so  up- 
to-date  and  healthy  as  a  young  gosling.  Given  a  tender  grass  plot 
and  a  bit  of  warmth,  it  goes  merrily  on  its  way,  nipping  a  living 
and  asking  favors  of  no  one.  They  eat  daintily,  preferring  grass 
to  all  other  foods.  With  their  chatter  they  are  ready  to  meet  you, 
take  a  few  mouthfuls  of  food,  and,  with  the  same  old  tune,  they 
lazily  saunter  away  in  search  of  grass  and  more  rest. 

Geese  are  turned  out  to  pasture  just  the  same  as  cattle,  their 


132  MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 

bills  having1  serrated  edges  which  enable  them  to  graze.  They 
never  need  a  warm  house.  An  open  corrall  is  much  better  in  Cali- 
fornia for  them  and  they  are  not  given  to  disease.  Goslings,  how- 
ever, should  be  provided  with  shade,  as  they  suffer  from  heat,  get- 
ting a  species  of  blind-staggers  or  sunstroke  if  exposed  to  the  sun. 
One  of  the  best  items  of  profit  to  be  derived  from  a  flock  of  Tou- 
louse geese  is  the  feathers,  which  are  clear  gain,  costing  nothing  but 
the  trouble  to  pick  them.  Watch  them  in  the  fall  and  spring,  twice 
a  year,  when  they  begin  to  pull  out  the  feathers  and  throw  them 
away.  I  know  then  they  are  ready  to  pick.  I  think  it  is  cruel  to 
pick  at  any  other  time.  Make  cheesecloth  sacks  which  will  hold 
two  pounds  of  feathers.  Make  them  large,  as  the  feathers  will  curl 
better  if  they  are  not  packed  together.  Hang  the  sacks  on  a  clothes- 
line every  sunny  day  for  about  two  weeks,  then  keep  them  in  a  well 
aired  room.  Women  living  in  the  city  will  be  your  best  customers 
providing  you  let  them  know  you  have  good  feathers  for  sale.  One 
can  get  from  75  cents  to  $1.00  per  pound,  and  can  never  supply  the 
demand.  The  breeders  should  not  be  picked  when  they  are  laying. 

The  Varieties 

There  are  a  number  of  varieties  of  geese,  but  the  most  profitable 
are  the  Toulouse,  the  Embden,  and  the  China.  Of  the  latter  there 
are  the  two  kinds,  the  brown  and  the  white.  The  color  of  the  Tou- 
louse is  gray  and  white  and  the  Embden  is  white.  The  Toulouse 
and  the  Embden  are  the  larger.  A  pair  of  Toulouse  have  been 
known  to  weigh  59^  pounds,  and  an  Embden  pair  has  tipped  the 
beam  at  57  pounds.  They  are  great  layers  of  large  eggs,  of  which 
they  will  lay  thirty  to  forty  a  year,  although  I  know  a  woman  who 
has  a  goose  that  layed  70  eggs  without  wanting  to  sit. 

In  mating,  allow  two  geese  to  one  gander,  though  they  generally 
pair  off  and  the  gander  will  stay  with  his  actual  mate  nearly  all  the 
time.  The  gander  is  the  protector  of  the  goose,  especially  in  breed- 
ing time.  He  will  defend  her  and  her  nest  fearlessly. 

Hens  as  Mothers 

It  is  a  good  plan  to  put  goose  eggs  under  a  hen.  It  takes  thirty- 
one  days  to  hatch  them.  Then  you  want  to  be  on  the  watch.  The 
hen  will  sit  all  right,  but  when  the  young  ones  break  the  shell  and 
the  hen  sees  a  queer,  green  little  creature,  with  a  long,  wide  bill 
saluting  her,  she  takes  it  for  a  freak  of  nature,  and  off  comes  its 
head.  Not  many  hens  will  claim  the  young  geese  or  hover  them ; 
so  take  the  goslings  away  as  they  hatch  and  try  the  hens,  giving 
the  goslings  to  a  good  slow,  gentle  hen.  As  soon  as  she  takes  them 
without  any  fuss  there  is  no  danger.  If  the  weather  is  nice  they 
should  be  turned  out  in  a  small  enclosure,  which  can  be  changed 
every  day  or  so.  Use  boards  six  feet  long  and  twelve  inches  wide. 
After  a  week  let  them  go,  and  their  foster  mother's  trouble  begins. 
The  little  goslings  do  not  care  for  her  calling;  they  are  hustling 
for  every  spear  of  grass  and  she  has  to  hunt  them.  Her  business 
is  to  keep  them  warm  at  night  and  warm  them  in  the  daytime 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  GEESE 


133 


if  they  get  chilled.  Never  allow  goslings  to  get  to  water  to  swim 
until  they  are  fully  feathered,  and  then  only  let  those  go  that  you 
wish  to  keep  for  breeders.  Many  of  them  will  do,  as  well  if  they 
never  go  swimming.  During  this  period  you  must  keep  the  old 
geese  away,  as  they  will  fight  the  hen  and  molest  the  young. 

You  cannot  raise  geese  as  you  do  chickens  and  ducks,  on  a  city 
lot.  They  must  have  pasture.  It  is  a  wrong  belief  that  geese  or 
their  droppings  will  kill  grass  or  pasture.  If  you  have  a  large  flock 
of  geese  and  a  small  pasture  they  will  clean  it  up;  that  is,  they 
will  eat  the  grass  as  fast  as  it  sprouts  and  give  it  no  chance  to 
grow,  just  as  a  cow  on  a  city  lot  will  soon  have  only  bare  ground 
and  you  will  have  to  tie  her  in  the  road.  If  you  do  the  same  with 
geese  you  would  find  the  grass  growing  again  the  same  as  before. 
Geese  are  easier  to  raise  than  any  other  young  fowls. 


Cat  and  Hawk-proof  Coop  for  Chicks  and  Ducklings 


BASLEY  FORMULAS  (Tested) 

BASLEY  CHICK  FEED 

Cracked  Wheat 30  Ibs. 

Steel  Cut  Oats   30  Ibs. 

Finely  Cracked  Corn    15  Ibs. 

Millet  10  Ibs. 

Rice    10  Ibs. 

Pearl   Barley   10  Ibs. 

Rape  Seed    10  Ibs. 

Granulated   Milk 10  Ibs. 

Granulated  Dried  Bone  10  Ibs. 

Chick  Grit 10  Ibs. 

Granulated   Charcoal    15  Ibs. 

Total 150  Ibs. 

BASLEY  DRY  FOOD  FOR  LAYING  HENS 
By  measure: 

Bran    2  parts 

Alfalfa  Meal  1  part 

Corn  meal 1  part 

Rolled  Oats  or  Oatmeal   1  part 

Beef  Scrap    1  part 

A  little  pepper  and  salt. 

BASLEY  "EGG  COAXER" 

Dried   Blood    10  Ibs. 

Beef  Meal    10  Ibs. 

Bone  Meal   10  Ibs. 

Linseed   Meal    5  Ibs. 

Sulphur    2  Ibs. 

Powdered  Charcoal  2  Ibs. 

Cayenne  Pepper ^  Ib. 

Salt     V*  Ib. 

Dose  half  a  pint  once  a  day  for  twenty  hens  when  they  are  moulting 
or  to  encourage  egg  laying.  This  is  an  infallible  egg  producer.  To  be 
given  in  the  mash  either  dry  or  wet. 

DOUGLAS  MIXTURE 

Tonic  and  disinfectant:  Sulphate  of  iron  (common  coperas),  eight 
ounces;  sulphuric  acid,  one-half  ounce.  Put  into  a  bottle  or  jug  one  gallon 
of  water;  into  this  put  the  sulphate  of  iron.  As  soon  as  the  iron  is  dis- 
solved, add  the  acid.  When  the  mixture  is  clear,  it  is  ready  for  use. 
Dose:  one  teaspoonful  in  one  pint  of  drinking  water.  This  is  one  of  the 
best  tonics  for  poultry  known.  It  is  an  antiseptic  as  well  as  a  tonic,  and. is  a 
good  remedy  for  many  diseases. 

BASLEY    LINIMENT    FOR   RHEUMATISM 

One  cup  of  vinegar;  one  cup  of  turpentine;  as  much  saltpetre  as  it  will 
take  up,  about  a  heaping  tablespoonful.  Keep  in  a  bottle,  shake  before  us- 
ing. Bathe  the  affected  part  twice  a  day.  Excellent  for  bruises,  sprains, 
etc.;  also  in  the  human  family  or  animals  of  any  kind. 


PART  II. 


Questions 

and 
Answers 


CAUSE  AND  CURE  OF  SICKNESS 

Apoplexy — What^     is     the     trouble      easily  digested,  ancf,  puncture  the  skin 

to  let  the  air  out.  In  slight  cases 
where  there  is  only  a  little  air  under 
the  skin  it  will  disappear  gradually 
without  treatment,  but  if  there  is  a 
considerable  amount  of  air  it  is  neces- 
sary to  prick  the  skin  and  let  it  out. 


with  my  hens?  They  seem  healthy 
and  all  at  once  they  begin  to  gasp  and 
fall  over  dead.  I  cut  one  open  and 
it  was  in  fine  condition,  fat  and  nice. 
I  cannot  make  out  what  it  is. — Mrs 
C.  S. 

Answer — Your  hen  had  apoplexy 
from  being  over-fat.  The  oveVfat 
condition  weakens  the  muscles,  and 
the  heart  and  brain  give  way.  Give 
the  whole  flock  a  little  Epsom  salts 
in  the  water  for  a  week,  cut  down 
the  amount  of  grain,  especially  any 
corn  or  corn  meal  in  their  feed,  and 
feed  more  green  food  and  more  ani- 
mal food  with,  of  course,  charcoal 
and  grit. 


Air  Putf—  I  have  been  a  constant 
reader  of  your  articles  and  find  them 
very  good 'but  I  have  a  case  I  never 
remember  reading  about;  it  is  a 
Barred  Rock  about  6  or  7  weeks  old. 
A  few  days  ago  it  went  to  limping 
and  I  supposed  it  was  some  of  the 
others  crowding  but  I  have  since  no- 
ticed its  whole  right  side  was  puffed 
away  out,  just  the  skin,  and-  I  took 
a  needle  and  made  a  small  opening 
and  there  was  nothing  but  wind  in  it. 
I  repeated  the  same  operation  next 
day.  It  eats  and  drinks  and  aside 
from  the  limping,  seems  to  feel  all 
right.  They  have  a  nice  clean  run 
and  lots  of  green  stuff.  I  am  feeding 
cracked  corn,  wheat  and  Kaffir  corn. 
Could  you  suggest  a  remedy  and  tell 
me  what  the  disease  is? — Mrs.  J.N.H. 

Answer — Your  chick  had  what  is 
called  "Air  Puff,"  and  you  did  just 
right  in  puncturing  the  skin;  you 
saved  its  life  by  it.  The  trouble 
conies  from  a  wound  or  abrasion  of 
the  lung  tissue  resulting  from  vio- 
lence of  some  kind.  After  caponizing 
a  chick  this  trouble  often  develops. 
I  have  seen  the  poor  little  things  al- 
most as  round  as  a  ball  and  so  light 
from  the  air  under  the  skin  that  the 
slightest  breeze  rolled  them  along. 
Chicks  that  get  trampled  on  by  their 
mothers,  or  cockerels  that  fight  are 
liable  to  suffer  from  injuries  that  re- 
sult in  "air  puff."  They  become  in- 
flated with  air.  The  treatment  is  a 
good  nourishing  diet.  I  resort  to 
bread  and  milk  in  such  cases.  It  is 


Bumble-foot — I  have  a  lame  hen; 
she  limps  on  her  left  foot.  She  eats 
as  well  as  my  other  hens,  her  comb  is 
red  and  looks  as  healthy  as  the 
others. 

If  you  will  tell  me  what  is  the  trou- 
ble I  will  be  very  much  obliged  to 
you. — Mrs.  M.  M.  C. 

Answer — Your  hen  has  probably 
what  is  called  "bumble-foot."  It  is 
something  like  a  stone  bruise  or  a 
corn  in  human  beings.  It  usually 
comes  from  a  corn  or  bruises  of  the 
feet,  wounds  with  thorns,  broken 
glass,  hard  stones  or  other  sharp  sub- 
stances. The  ball  of  the  foot  be- 
comes swollen,  inflamed,  hot  and 
painful.  The  fowl  appears  in  pain. 
Corns  are  often  caused  by  too  small 
or  narrow  perches,  which  compel  the 
fowl  to  grasp  them  tightly  in  order 
to  maintain  their  position.  This  firm 
grasp  continued  night  after  night 
affects  the  circulation  of  the  part  of 
the  foot  that  comes  in  closest  con- 
tact with  the  perch.  A  similar  con- 
dition may  be  caused  by  heavy  birds 
flying  from  their  perches  and  alight- 
ing upon  a  stony  surface  or  hard 
floor. 

If  it  has  not  yet  become  an  abscess, 
simply  cut  off  the  thickened  skin  or 
corn  without  causing  bleeding  and 
paint  the  corn  with  tincture  of  iodyne. 
If  pus  has  developed,  soak  the  foot  in 
warm  water  twice  a  day  and  poultice 
until  the  inflammation  is  reduced. 
After  thoroughly  cleaning  the  foot,  if 
pus  has  developed,  open  the  abscess 
freely  with  a  sharp  knife  and  scrape 
out  the  diseased  matter.  Wash  out 
the  wound  carefully  with  peroxide  of 
hydrogen  or  carbolized  water.  Stuff 
the  wound  full  of  iodyne  gauze  and 
bandage  it.  Continue  this  treatment 
daily  until  the  wound  is  almost 
healed,  then  apply  a  good  ointment 
daily  until  it  is  entirely  well.  The 
bird  must  be  kept  on  clean,  dry  straw 
until  fully  recovered. 


138 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


Swollen  Feet — Will  you  extend  a 
helping  hand  to  an  old  batch  who  is 
having  endless  trouble  with  a  few 
chickens?  They  begin  to  get  lame 
and  after  a  few  days  cannot  stand 
on  their  feet  at  all,  and  some  of  them 
have  great  swellings  on  top  of  their 
feet  that  look  like  a  big  boil.  I  only 
have  about  forty  in  all;  they  have  all 
the  range  they  want  in  abundance  and 
wheat  twice  a  day,  together  with 
scraps  from  the  table.  My  hen  house 
is  log,  12x16  feet,  plastered  on  both 
sides,  two  windows  with  glass  12x24. 
The  roosts  are  about  eighteen  inches 
from  the  floor.  If  you  can  tell  me 
the  cause  and  cure  I  will  thank  you 
kindly  as  I  feel  sorely  tempted  some- 
times to  kill  all  of  them  and  start 
over.  They  are  just  common  hens. — 
D.  W.  M. 

Answer — Your  hens  have  either 
bumble-foot  or  rheumatism.  The 
bumble-foot  comes  from  an  injury  to 
the  foot  and  is  caused  by  hens  jump- 
ing or  flying  down  from  a  high  place 
onto  stony  ground.  It  is  also  caused 
by  rocky  ground  and  is  somewhat 
like  a  stone  bruise  or  a  corn  in  the 
human  family.  It  usually  occurs  in 
heavy,  elderly  hens  and  your  plan  of 
killing  them  off  for  the  table  would 
be  a  good  one.  The  cure  is  to  lance 
the  "boil"  and  gently  squeeze  the  core 
out,  then  wash  with  peroxide  of  hyd- 
rogen and  bind  up  with  a  soft  rag 
and  keep  the  hen  on  clean,  soft  straw, 
not  allowing  her  any  place  to  roost. 
Bumble-foot  sometimes  comes  from 
sharp  edges  on  the  perch  or  very  nar- 
row perches.  Discover  what  is  hurt- 
ing the  feet  and  remove  the  cause.  It 
is  sometimes  necessary  to  poultice  the 
feet  to  draw  out  all  the  pus.  Rheum- 
atism usually  comes  from  damp 
houses  or  damp  ground  and  to  cure 
that  you  have  to  change  those  condi- 
tions. You  can  also  give  the  fowls  a 
little  Epsom  salts  in  their  drinking 
water,  or  give  each  affected  hen  one 
dose  of  Epsom  salts  (half  a  teaspoon- 
ful)  in  a  little  water  and  put  into  the 
drinking  water  half  a  teaspoonful  of 
bi-carbonate  of  soda  to  a  quart  of 
water.  But  I  think  your  plan  of  de- 
capitating them  and  starting  with 
fresh  young  hens  would  be  better 
than  trying  to  cure  them. 


Bronchitis— Will  you  kindly  tell  me 
what  ails  my  White  Leghorn  hen? 
She  sits  around  most  of  the  time  and 


squawks  and  slings  her  head  and  when 
I  hold  my  ear  to  her  side  I  can  hear 
a  continual  rattling.  Her  comb  is  red 
and  she  eats  well.  I  feed  corn,  wheat, 
Kaffir  corn  and  table  scraps.  They 
run  on  plenty  of  green  range.  Her 
nostrils  are  clean.  Age,  8  months. — 

c.  c.  s. 

Answer — Your  hen  seems  to  have 
chronic  bronchitis  or  is  taking  cold 
frequently.  See  that  she  does  not 
sleep  in  a  draught  nor  in  a  house  that 
is  too  tightly  closed.  Give  her  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  honey  night  and  morning 
for  a  week  and  keep  her  clean  from 
lice,  and  I  think  she  will  be  well  in  a 
week.  A  little  red  pepper  and  chopped 
onions  in  her  food  would  also  help 
the  cure. 

Bald  Headed — Some  of  my  hens 
are  becoming  bald  headed.  The  feath- 
ers for  half  an  inch  and  more  back  of 
the  comb  disappear.  The  hens  seem 
in  the  best  of  health  and  lay  well. 
There  are  no  lice  or  mites  on  the 
chickens,  on  the  roosts  or  in  the  nests. 
If  you  can  give  me  a  remedy  I  shall 
consider  it  a  great  favor. — Mrs.  E. 
E.  C. 

Answer — This  is  not  at  all  an  un- 
common occurrence  just  before  the 
moult.  "  Those  feathers  have  merely 
ripened  a  little  earlier  than  the  oth- 
ers, and,  strange  to  say,  it  is  usually 
the  best  layers  that  are  so  affected. 
You  can  grease  the  bald  spot  with  a 
little  vaseline.  This  will  hasten  the 
growth  of  the  new  feathers. 

Blind  Chicks — What  is  the  matter 
with  my  little  chickens?  They  are 
about  two  months  old.  I  find  them 
with  one  eye  shut  and  sometimes 
both,  and  when  I  open  it  a  watery 
substance  comes  from  them.  When 
only  one  eye  is  affected,  they  are  per- 
fectly blind  in  it,  but  can  see  all  right 
out  of  the  other  and  when,  both  eyes 
are  affected,  they  are  blind  in  both. 

Their  mouths  are  perfectly  clear 
and  they  have  a  rattle  in  their  throat. 
They  have  been  affected  now  for 
about  two  weeks  and  several  have 
died.  It  seems  very  contagious. 

I  have  put  spirits  of  camphor  in 
their  drinking  water  and  sulphate  of 
iron.  I  also  made  a  salve  of  lard  and 
Egyptian  insect  powder  and  rubbed 
that  on  their  eyes  with  a  feather, 
which  was  very  highly  recommended 
to  me,  but  everything  has  failed  to 


CAUSE  AND   CURE   OF   SICKNESS 


139 


cure  them.  They  run  on  a  yard  of 
green  grass  all  the  time. — Mrs.  A 
L.  S. 

Answer — The  starting  point  of  near- 
ly all  cases  of  blindness  in  chicks  is  in 
roupy  breeding  stock.  A  slight  chill 
or  cold  is  sufficient  to  start  an  epi- 
demic of  this  blindness  in  a  flock  of 
chicks,  if  they  already  possess  the  in- 
herited tendency  to  weakness  of  these 
parts  from  parents  that  were  not  in  fit 
breeding  condition.  This  blindness  is 
a  result  of  an  inflammation  of  the  mu- 
cous membrane  of  the  eye  and  lids, 
which  produces  a  sticky  exudate, 
which  gums  the  eyelids  together. 

Sometimes  the  inflammation  of  the 
lids  is  excited  by  irritating  substances 
like  lime  or  sharp,  dusty  sand,  insect 
powders  or  kerosene  getting  into  the 
eyes.  These  causes  may  produce 
blindness  in  chicks  that  do  not  have 
roupy  ancestors.  That  form  of  in- 
flammation of  the  lids  accompanied 
by  hardening  of  the  lids  is  not  uncom- 
monly caused  by  irritants,  kerosene 
particularly. 

Uncleanliness  is  another  cause  of 
blindness  of  this  sort,  and  too  many 
who  attempt  to  raise  chicks  are  care- 
less in  this  respect.  Lice  and  mites 
also  do  their  share  to  cause  the  trou- 
ble. 

The  best  way  to  remedy  such  cases 
is  to  prevent  them  or  remove  the 
cause  if  possible.  In  cases  where 
there  is  an  amount  of  exudate  it  will 
be  well  to  bathe  the  eyes  with  a  solu- 
tion of  boracic  acid,  fifteen  grains  to 
a  half  cup  of  water,  and  then  dry  with 
a  soft  cloth  and  apply  a  little  carbolic 
salve.  It  is  difficult  to  get  satisfac- 
tory results  dosing  young  chickens 
with  medicine,  but  you  might  give 
them  either  a  little  bread  and  milk 
with  a  sprinkling  of  red  pepper  and 
sulphur  on  it,  or  rice  boiled  in  milk 
with  a  tablespoonful  of  ground  cinna- 
mon for  each  pint  of  milk. 


Cancer — The  writer  wished  to  know 
if  poultry  are  subject  to  cancer. — J.  H. 

Answer — Poultry  are  not  subject  to 
cancer,  but  they  are  to  tuberculosis, 
which  may  be  taken  for  the  same. 
There  is  no  cure  for  this  but  the 
hatchet.  A  thorough  disinfecting  of 
the  premises  must  be  made.  The 
bodies  of  any  fowl  dying  from  this 
disease  should  be  burned,  or  buried 
very  deeply,  as  it  is  an  infectious  dis- 
ease, 


Canker— I  am  anxious  to  know  if 
the  heavy  Black  Orpingtons  are 
hardy.  I  have  just  bought  a  fine 
cockerel  and  four  hens;  one  of  them 
has  just  got  canker.  What  is  the 
cause  and  remedy?  They  are  kept  in 
a  yard  by  themselves  and  get  clean 
drinking  water  and  sleep  in  a  fresh 
air  house  with  open  side  facing  east. 
Do  you  favor  open  front  houses  for 
fancy  breeds?  I  feed  them  with  mash 
in  the  morning  and  wheat  in  the  af- 
ternoon, and  alfalfa  grows  in  their 
yard. — Mrs.  M.  N. 

Answer— The  Black  Orpingtons  are 
very  hardy.  Am  sorry  your  pen  has 
canker.  The  cure  for  that  is  to  paint 
the  spots  with  sulpho-carbolate  of 
zinc  (four  grains  in  an  ounce  of  dis- 
tilled water)  night  and  morning.  This 
will  kill  the  germ,  but  in  case  it  is 
diphtheritic  roup,  would  advise  you 
to  paint  it  one  day  with  the  sulpho- 
carbolate  of  zinc  and  the  next  day 
with  peroxide  of  hydrogen,  as  the  lat- 
ter kills  the  diphtheritic  germ.  The 
open  front  houses  are  the  best  for 
every  kind  of  fowl  in  this  climate.  A 
change  of  diet  will  often  affect  the 
droppings  of  the  fowls,  when  they  are 
normal.  You  had  better  slightly 
change  the  foods,  or  if  you  feed  them 
charcoal,  it  will  materially  assist  the 
digestion,  and  you  need  fear  no  trou- 
ble. A  little  Epsom  salts  in  the  wa- 
ter, if  the  fowls  are  very  fat  and 
heavy,  is  also  an  assistant,  but  by 
giving  them  plenty  of  green  food,  you 
will  have  no  trouble. 


Cannibalism — I  had  a  hatching  of 
Black  Minorcas  three  weeks  ago  of 
115  chicks;  today  I  have  about  80.  In 
the  first  place,  the  chicks  are  hearty 
and  well,  but  will  bite  the  rectum  of 
the  other  chicks  and  in  two  or  three 
minutes  will  just  tear  the  bowels  out 
and  kill  the  little  chicks.  Every  one 
will  give  it  a  nip,  and  if  we  are  not 
constantly  on  the  alert  all  would  be 
dead.  No  one  of  whom  I  have  in- 
quired has  ever  heard  of  such  a  thing. 
I  have  raised  these  just  as  I  raise  my 
White  Leghorns.  I  hatched  160  seven 
weeks  ago,  and  today  have  158  fine 
chicks.  You  would  oblige  me  very 
much  with  a  remedy. — W.  P.  H. 

Answer — The  remedy  for  "canni- 
balism" is  first,  to  keep  all  the  chicks 
busy  with  exercising;  in  order  to  do 
this,  keep  the  floor  of  the  brooder 


140 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


covered  with  chaff  or  finely  cut  alfalfa 
hay  at  least  an  inch  deep  and  feed 
the  chicks  small  grains  (chick  feed)  in 
this;  the  hay  or  chaff  keeps  the  toes 
and  feet  covered,  conceals  them,  and 
the  busy  little  things  are  so  occupied 
scratching  that  they  do  not  get  into 
mischief.  Secondly,  give  them  a  little 
more  animal  food  or  milk.  The  can- 
nibals have  a  craving  for  animal  food, 
and  sometimes  a  bit  of  fat  salt  pork, 
whether  fed  to  them  or  nailed  up 
where  they  can  peck  at  it,  satisfies 
this  craving.  Thirdly,  find  the  first 
leader  of  this  mischief,  and  either  kill 
him  or  isolate  him  and  give  him  to  a 
hen  to  bring  up.  This  bad  habit  is 
usually  started  by  one  chick,  and  all 
the  others  follow  suit,  and  soon  the 
whole  brooder  will  acquire  the  habit, 
and  it  is  almost  impossible  to  stop  it 
if  it  has  got  a  good  start. 

Chicken  Pox — I  am  in  trouble  con- 
cerning my  chickens.  My  young  Leg- 
horn pullets  have  black  looking  sores 
around  their  eyes  and  on  the  comb. 
They  look  like  ticks  at  a  distance,  and 
sometimes  scale  off.  I  am  using  sul- 
phur, lard  and  a  few  drops  of  carbolic 
acid.  What  is  the  trouble?  Can  it  be 
chicken  pox? 

Is  my  remedy  of  any  value;  if  not, 
can  you  suggest  one?  Also,  what  is 
the  cause? 

Some  of  them  also  have  the  gapes, 
and  I  have  been  unable  so  far  to  ef- 
fect a  cure.  Have  killed  several  al- 
ready. What  is  good  for  the  gapes 
and  can  you  tell  me  what  causes 
them? 

Can  a  water  glass  solution  be  used 
the  second  time  for  preserving  eggs? 
— J.  B. 

Answer — Chicken  pox  is  your  trou- 
ble. See  reply  to  H.  E.  S. 

Give  the  chicks  with  gapes  garlic, 
easiest  cure. 

Some  advise  putting  down  the  win- 
pipe  a  feather  dipped  in  coal  oil  to 
dissolve  the  worm,  but  many  chicks 
are  killed  in  this  way,  and  I  prefer 
dusting  over  the  chicks  a  little  slaked 
lime,  which  will  make  them  cough  up 
the  worm.  However,  I  really  con- 
sider the  garlic  the  best  and  crushed 
or  chopped  fine  and  mixed  with  a  lit- 
tle bran,  and  when  they  get  better, 
give  frequently  chopped  onions. 

Chicken  Pox 
Warts  on  Combs  and  Eyes — I  am 

in  trouble  and  I  know  you  can  advise 


me.  September  24th  I  hatched  some 
Blue  Andalusians.  They  have  grown 
very  fast,  seemed  extra  healthy  and 
vigorous  until  a  few  days  ago,  when 
warts  began  to  appear  on  their  combs 
and  eyes.  In  one  night  they  grew 
twice  in  size.  I  have  nine,  and  they 
are  all  becoming  affected.  What  in 
the  world  is  it,  and  is  it  catching? 
They  have  run  at  large  entirely  and 
their  feed  in  grain  is  mostly  kaffir 
corn.  They  we^e  such  fine  chicks, 
and  I  was  raising  them  for  breeders, 
but  now  feel  discouraged.  I  have  a 
younger  litter,  four  weeks  old,  but 
they  are  all  right  so  far.  My  old 
birds  are  fine  stock  and  very  healthy. 
These  warts  did  not  make  their  ap- 
pearance until  the  chicks  were  eight 
weeks  old.— Mrs.  H.  E.  S. 

Answer — Your  chickens  have  chick- 
en pox  in  a  very  virulent  form. 
Chicken  pox  is  from  a  germ  and  it  is 
very  infectious.  It  is  fatal  to  young 
chicks.  In  severe  cases  it  goes  into 
the  throat  and  mouth,  as  you  de- 
scribe. The  best  home  remedies  that 
I  know  are  first  to  grease  the  "warts" 
that  are  on  the  outside  of  the  mouth 
or  under  the  wings  with  a  little  car- 
bolic salve.  Then  wash  the  mouth 
and  throat  with  vinegar  and  salt  (a 
level  teaspoonful  in  a  cup  of  vinegar), 
following  this  the  next  day  with 
swabbing  with  peroxide  of  hydrogen. 
Give  germazone  in  the  drinking  wa- 
ter. Feed  nourishing  and  easily  di- 
gestible food,  such  as  bread  and  milk. 

The  most  important  part  is  to  dis- 
infect the  brooders  and  houses  and 
yards,  so  as  to  get  rid  of  the  germs. 
Move  the  chicks  that  are  well  to 
fresh,  clean  brooders  on  the  other 
side  of  the  ranch,  and  then  scald  the 
old  brooders  thoroughly,  giving  them 
a  last  rinse  with  water  in  which  cor- 
rosive sublimate  (bi-chloride  of  mer- 
cury) has  been  dissolved.  Of  course, 
the  mercury  is  poisonous,  so  the 
chicks  must  not  be  put  into  the 
brooders  until  it  has  dried  off,  and 
care  must  be  used  in  handling  it  not 
to  let  any  of  it  get  into  your  own 
eyes.  The  runs  and  houses  should  be 
disinfected  by  whitewashing  or  spray- 
ing thoroughly  with  a  solution  of  5 
per  cent  carbolic  acid. 

The  feeding  vessels  and  troughs 
should  daily  be  scalded  with  boiling 
water  until  the  epidemic  ceases.  The 
affected  birds  should  be  isolated. 


CAUSE   AND   CURE   OF   SICKNESS 


141 


When  Chicks  Choke— As  we  are  be- 
ginners and  having  some  trouble  with 
our  chicks,  we  wish  to  ask  you  for 
advice,  which  will  be  greatly  appre- 
ciated. 

The  chicks  are  five  weeks  old  and 
up  to  a  few  days  ago  all  were  well, 
when  we  discovered  a  sick  chick.  It 
seemed  to  be  choking  and  would 
twist  its  head  and  peep.  We  feed 
nothing  but  the  best  chick  feed  and 
always  keep  fresh  water  before  them 
and  keep  them  in  a  fireless  brooder, 
twenty  in  each.  Kindly  advise  me 
what  the  trouble  is  and  how  to  cure  it. 
Thanking  you  very  kindly  for  any 
favors  you  may  extend  to  us,  we  beg 
to  remain,  yours  very  truly,  W.  F.  H. 

Answer — When  a  chick  "twists  its 
head  and  peeps,"  it  is  a  sign  that  it 
has  "colic."  It  has  eaten  something 
that  disagrees  with  it.  It  may  have 
swallowed  a  burr  of  some  kind  or  it 
might  have  eaten  a  bit  of  something 
that  was  mouldy.  A  small  dose  of 
castor  oil  with  a  few  drops  of  turpen- 
tine in  it  would  have  relieved  it. 


Cold  in  the  Head — Can  you  tell  me 
what  is  the  matter  with  my  chickens? 
They  eat,  seem  to  feel  good,  sing  and 
play  and  are  laying  good,  but  they 
seem  to  have  a  cold  or  something. 
They  try  to  blow  their  nose  and  bub- 
bles come  out.  Have  been  that  way 
for  about  six  weeks;  they  have  a  good 
coop  with  no  air  holes;  six  by  eight; 
one  end  open;  only  twenty-five  to 
roost  in  it.  They  have  had  blue- 
stone  in  their  drinking  water  every 
day  for  a  month;  they  do  not  get  any 
worse  or  seem  to  be  any  better;  they 
have  warm  mash  for  morning  feed 
and  wheat  noon  and  night.  Would 
they  be  good  to  eat  in  that  condition? 
— F.  C.  H. 

Answer — I  am  afraid  that  your 
chickens  are  too  crowded  in  their 
roosting  quarters  and  that  they  get 
too  warm  at  night  and  come  out  into 
the  cool  morning  air  and  in  this  way 
take  cold.  Or  the  open  end  may  be 
towards  the  night  breeze.  They  evi- 
dently have,  for  some  cause,  slight 
colds.  Bluestone,  or  germazone  in 
the  water  is  an  excellent  cure  and  by 
adding  chopped  onions  and  a  little 
red  pepper  to  the  mash,  should  cure 
them.  One  teaspoonful  of  red  pepper 
for  every  twelve  hens  is  the  dose.  If 
the  chickens,  are  not  feverish  and  the 


discharge  from  the  nostrils  has  no 
bad  odor,  would  consider  they  are  fit 
for  food. 

Cough  and  Sneeze— Will  you  please 
tell  me  what  is  the  matter  with  my 
I  have  several  that  cough  or 
sneeze,  I  do  not  know  which.  They 
will  shake  their  heads  and  "holler." 
One  can  hear  them  quite  a  distance 
Will  you  please  tell  me  the  disease 
and  remedy?— B.  J.,  Tucson,  Ariz. 

Answer— Your  fowls  have  bron- 
chitis and  perhaps  some  influenza. 
Give  them  bread  and  milk  for  supper, 
and  a  quinine  pill  and  half  a  teaspoon- 
ful of  red  pepper  mixed  with  butter. 
And  see  that  they  do  not  sleep  in  a, 
draught  or  in  a  house  where  the  rain 
comes  in  on  them. 


Comb  Discolored— I  have  a  White 
Leghorn  cock  two  years  old;  he  has 
always  been  healthy,  but  for  the  last 
two  months  I  noticed  that  his  comb 
and  wattles  turned  a  deep  purple  and 
would  remain  so  for  days,  then  they 
would  change  to  a  natural  color 
again,  but  only  for  a  day  or  so,  and 
then  turn  purple  again.  He  seems 
to  be  healthy  and  vigorous  in  every 
way.  Now,  can  you  tell  me  what  can 
be  the  matter  with  him  and  what  I 
can  do  for  him,  or  if  it  would  be  wise 
to  use  him  any  further  for  breeding 
purposes? — Mrs.  L.  S. 

Answer — The  comb  tells  quite  a 
little  story  of  what  is  going  on  in  the 
organs  of  the  whole  body.  Any 
change  in  the  appearance  of  the  comb 
is  indicative  of  a  disturbance  in  some 
other  part  of  the  bird. 

The  dark  colored  comb  is  an  indica- 
tion of  a  disordered  liver  and  indiges- 
tion. The  dark  comb  is  one  of  the 
first  symptoms  noticed  in  congestion 
of  the  liver  and  most  cases  of  this 
come  from  an  overfeeding  of  a  ration 
too  rich  in  starch  elements,  such  as 
too  much  potatoes  or  bread  in  the 
table  scraps,  and  insufficient  exercise. 
I  do  not  know  how  you  are  feeding 
your  fowls,  but  I  would  recommend 
you  to  put  a  little  Epsom  salts  into 
the  drinking  water,  or  you  can  give 
him  alone  a  small  half  teaspoonful 
in  a  tablespoonful  of  water,  and  put 
in  the  drinking  water  of  the  whole 
flock  ten  drops  of  tincture  of  nux 
vomica  to  a  pint  of  water.  Feed  plen- 
ty of  green  food  and  more  meat  than 


142 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


you  are  now  giving;  keep  this  up  for 
a  week  and  then  turn  the  birds  out  on 
a  grass  range  if  possible,  otherwise 
give  the  birds  as  scratching  material 
the  waste  from  an  alfalfa  hay  mow 
and  allow  them  only  a  little  grain, 
wheat,  and  make  them  scratch  hard 
for  that.  It  would  not  be  advisable 
to  use  the  male  bird  for  breeding. 
Breed  only  from  the  most  vigorous 
stock  you  have. 


Why  Combs  Are  White— We  have 
two  Buff  Orpington  hens  that  are 
sick.  They  mope  around  and  do  not 
eat.  Their  heads  and  gills  are  almost 
white,  and  sometimes  one  is  almost 
blue.  They  look  as  though  they  have 
lice,  but  they  have  not.  Can  you  give 
me  some  advice  as  to  how  to  treat 
them?  Thanking  you  in  advance,  I 
am,  respectfully,  A.  G.  O. 

Answer — The  comb  tells  quite  a  lit- 
tle story  as  to  what  is  going  on  in  the 
organs  of  the  whole  body.  The  nor- 
mal condition  of  the  comb  presents  a 
healthy  look  that  the  poultrymen  call 
the  "standard  red."  Any  deviation 
from  this  red  is  an  indication  of 
changed  action  in  the  workings  of  the 
organ,  or  to  a  change  in  the  vitality 
of  the  whole  bird.  The  light  colored 
comb  shows  an  anemic  state  of  the 
bird  and  is  a  sign  of  underfeeding, 
lice,  poor  ventilation,  and  absence  of 
green  vegetable  food,  impure  water 
and  uncleanly  surroundings. 

As  you  say,  nothing  of  the  feeding 
and  treatment  of  the  birds,  I  am  un- 
able to  say  which  of  these  conditions 
fits  your  case.  I  think  probably  they 
are  infested  with  lice  or  their  houses 
with  mites,  and  the  only  remedy  is  the 
extermination  of  these. 


Cough — We  have  a  disease  in  our 
poultry.  They  have  a  phlegm  in  their 
throats  and  cough;  they  seem  all  right 
to  look  at  them;  they  eat  and  drink 
until  the  day  before  they  die,  when 
they  begin  to  droop.  I  notice  it  only 
when  I  let  them  out  in  the  morning, 
or  by  disturbing  them  at  night.  They 
are  fed  about  twelve  pounds  of  wheat 
a  day,  two  sheaves  of  barley,  a  pan  of 
soaked  bread,  occasionally  a  feed  of 
boiled  potatoes  mixed  with  bran  and 
a  little  cayenne  pepper.  I  have  been 
giving  them  carbolic  acid  in  their 
drinking  water,  about  seven  drops  to 
a  milk  pan  full;  they  usually  drink  it 
before  being  let  out  of  the  feed  shed. 


We  have  lost  only  two  birds,  a  pea- 
cock and  a  young  turkey,  but  they  all 
seem  to  have  it.  I  will  be  much  ob- 
liged if  you  can  tell  me  what  the  dis- 
ease is  and  how  to  treat  it. — M.  G. 

Answer — Your  chickens  have  a 
slight  cold,  more  like  bronchitis  than 
roup.  I  would  advise  you  to  put  some 
germazone  into  the  water  given  them 
for  drinking  and  some  chopped  onions 
in  their  food,  and  considerable  red 
pepper.  There  is  a  possibility  that 
their  coughing  comes  from  dust  of 
some  kind  in  their  sleeping  coop,  or 
from  barley  beards  in  the  straw.  You 
had  better  not  give  them  any  more 
carbolic  acid  in  the  water.  It  is  very 
injurious  to  turkeys.  It  is  always  best 
to  try  dieting  and  simple  remedies. 
A  teaspoonful  of  honey  once  or  twice 
a  day  will  often  cure  phlegm  in  the 
throat. 


(H.  M.  C,  Inglewood,  Cal.)— You 
say  you  have  a  fine  White  Leghorn 
cockerel  whose  breathing  is  labored, 
that  you  can  hear  him  breathe  when 
on  the  roost.  Also  you  have  a  Buff 
Orpington  hen  that  coughs,  but  other- 
wise both  of  these  are  apparently 
well,  and  you  want  me  to  diagnose 
the  case  and  give  you  some  remedy. 
It  is  difficult  to  diagnose  any  case  of 
sickness  among  birds  without  seeing 
them  or  understanding  their  environ- 
ment. I  think  that  it  may  be  a  slight 
touch  of  bronchitis  in  both  cases,  and 
I  would  treat  for  that.  First,  how- 
ever, try  to  discover  what  has  caused 
this  trouble.  Bronchitis  is  caused  by 
anything  that  gives  a  cold,  overcrowd- 
ing at  night,  sleeping  in  a  draught, 
etc.,  but  it  also  is  caused  by  dust, 
especially  lime  dust  from  scattering 
slacked  lime  in  the  henneries;  that  is 
one  reason  I  do  not  like  air  slacked 
lime.  The  lime  seems  to  affect  not 
only  the  bronchial  tubes  and  lungs, 
but  also  enters  the  air  sacks. 

The  irritation  of  the  bronchial  tubes 
is  sometimes  the  remains  of  an  attack 
of  roup.  I  have  found  a  little  honey 
one  of  the  best  remedies.  I  would 
advise  you  to  mix  one  teaspoonful  of 
eucalyptus  oil  or  teaspoonful  of  tur- 
pentine (I  prefer  the  eucalyptus)  in 
one  cupful  of  strained  honey;  mix 
thoroughly  and  give  the  bird  one  tea- 
spoonful  night  and  morning.  At  the 
same  time  give  a  nourishing  diet.  I 
would  like  to  recommend  a  very  little 


CAUSE  AND  CURE  OF  SICKNESS 


143 


(about  ten  grains)  of  sulphur  in  the 
morning  meal,  but  at  this  season  of 
the  year  I  am  afraid,  as  sulphur  opens 
the  pores,  that  the  fowls  might  take 
extra  colds.  Will  you  let  me  know 
if  you  give  eucalyptus  oil  and  the  re- 
sults, as  it  may  help  another. 


Congestion  of  the  Lungs — Knowing 
that  you  are  a  very  busy  woman,  it  is 
as  a  last  resort  in  our  trouble  that  I 
make  this  appeal  to  you.  We  are  on 
forty  acres  of  new  land  since  April, 
never  having  been  occupied  except  as 
stock  or  grain  land  before.  The  land 
is  light  adobe  soil,  being  porous  in 
summer,  not  cracking  as  some  adobe 
does.  For  grit  I  furnish  coarse  sand 
and  decomposed  granite,  which  seems 
very  sharp  grit;  have  fed  cracked 
wheat,  chick  feed,  raw  chopped  meat 
sparingly,  chopped  vegetables  and 
plenty  of  clean  water.  Have  had  three 
hatches;  the  first  at  three  weeks  old 
the  brooder  took  fire  in  the  night  and 
burnt  everything  up;  total  loss.  The 
second  about  70  per  cent  hatched,  and 
I  brooded  them  in  boxes  18  by  24  in. 
filled  with  straw,  nest  and  hover,  and 
no  artificial  heat,  and  had  none  sick; 
all  vigorous  Plymouth  Rocks,  until 
two  months  old,  when  suddenly  I  no- 
ticed one  at  a  time  get  droopy;  could 
find  no  lice,  but  white-washed  and 
coal-oiled  pens,  brooders,  etc.;  dug  up 
the  ground. 

I  saw  two  or  three  head  lice,  as  I 
supposed — large,  long  insects — just  on 
two  or  three  birds,  so  I  greased  every- 
thing with  lard  and  sulphur,  on  head 
and  under  wings,  but  the  sick  ones 
died  just  the  same.  On  some  of  the 
sick  ones  I  could  find  no  lice  of  any 
description,  so  I  opened  some  and 
could  see  nothing  apparently  wrong, 
except  in  the  lungs,  which  seemed  to 
be  full  of  blood,  and  when  they  died 
they  would  sit  for  a  day  or  two  very 
weak  and  breathe  hard.  They  got  very 
thin.  They  have  invariably  died,  and 
I  have  now  lost  about  eighty.  I 
opened  one  today.  It  seems  to  have 
white  or  cream-colored  lumps  through 
the  lungs. 

I  have  about  a  hundred  and  ten 
healthy  chicks  three  weeks  old  in 
brooders,  and  am  afraid  for  them.  We 
have  had  no  experience  of  this  kind 
before,  and  anything  so  unusual  and 
so  menacing  to  otir  only  business  has 
prompted  me  to  write  to  you.  I  have 
a  roll  of  clippings  of  your  pieces,  but 


find  nothing  to  cover  the  case.  Now, 
if  possible,  will  ycu  please  tell  what 
the  trouble  is?  It  may  save  my  fu- 
ture flock  and  my  profits.  Yours  in 
hope,  H.  L.  F. 

Answer — From  your  description  of 
the  trouble  in  your  brooders  I  fear 
that  it  may  be  possibly  tuberculosis, 
still  there  is  a  great  doubt  in  my  mind 
because  you  are  on  a  new  place  and 
have,  as  I  understand,  new  boxes  or 
home-made  brooders,  and  therefore  I 
think  the  trouble  is  that  the  chicks 
have  not  sufficient  room  in  the  boxes 
at  night  and  are  breathing  vitiated 
air.  This  will  weaken — in  fact,  will 
poison — the  chicks,  and  they  will  "go 
light"  or  die  of  consumption  just  from 
not  having  sufficient  oxygen  or  proper 
ventilation  in  their  sleeping  quarters. 

At  four  weeks  of  age  there  should 
not  be  more  than  two  dozen  chickens 
in  a  box  18  by  24  inches,  and  the 
brooders  should  be  sunned  every  day, 
and  one  side  of  the  box  brooder 
should  be  open  so  the  chicks  will  have 
plenty  of  fresh  air.  Another  thing 
has  certainly  injured  the  chicks,  and 
that  is  greasing  them.  It  always  will 
make  the  chickens  sick,  especially  if 
greased  under  the  wings;  a  little,  very 
little  lard  on  the  top  of  the  head  and 
under  the  chin  does  not  seem  to  hurt, 
but  if  it  is  used  at  all  freely  on  the 
body  and  especially  under  the  wings, 
it  will  often  kill  them. 

Instead  of  coal-oiling  the  brooders, 
if  you  had  washed  them  with  boiling 
hot  suds  it  would  have  been  much 
better.  The  fumes  from  the  oil  is  in- 
jurious and  is  utterly  useless  for  kill- 
ing body  lice.  Boiling  suds  is  harm- 
less for  the  chicks  and  will  destroy 
mites,  lice,  fleas  and  many  infectious 
germs  in  .  the  brooders  and  costs  a 
good  deal  less  than  oil  or  any  of  the 
liquid  lice  killers.  After  carefully 
studying  your  letter,  I  feel  sure  that 
the  trouble  commenced  with  over 
crowding  and  lack  of  ventilation  in 
the  brooder.  Then  the  greasing  fin- 
ished it,  and  when  the  chickens  began 
to  be  sick,  others  caught  it,  for  it  is 
a  strange  thing,  but  sure,  that  one 
sick  chick  will  infect  its  neighbors  no 
matter  what  disease  it  has.  Also, 
when  a  chick  for  any  reason  is  weakly 
it  will  take  any  disease  that  is  in  the 
air. 

Now  for  those  that  are  left,  keep 
their  sleeping  coops  clean  and  well 
sunned  and  keep  the  chicks  entirely 


144 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


away  from  those  that  are  sick  or  even 
weakly.  Keep  them  all  free  from 
lice,  dusting  them  occasionally  with  a 
good  lice  powder  or  with  tobacco 
dust.  If  any  have  head  lice,  take 
some  nice  warm  suds,  put  a  very  few 
drops  of  carbolic  acid  into  the  suds, 
and  with  a  tooth  brush  wet  the 
chick's  head  with  it;  this  will  kill  the 
louse  and  will  loosen  and  brush  away 
the  two  silvery  white  nits  which  the 
head  louse  lays  at  the  roots  of  the 
feathers. 

If  you  are  following  my  rules  fcr 
feeding,  giving  plenty  of  clean  water 
and  green  food,  and  supplying  shade 
as  well  as  sunshine,  your  fowls  are 
sure  to  do  well.  Being  on  a  fresh 
place,  where  there  have  never  been 
any  fowls,  is  a  very  great  advantage 
to  you,  and  I  feel  sure  you  will  event- 
ually succeed.  Let  me  hear  again 
from  you  if  I  can  help  you. 

Catarrh — Can  you  please  tell  me 
what  the  trouble  is  when  chickens 
cough  and  their  nose  runs,  also  state 
the  best  way  to  rid  them  of  this 
plague? — Mrs.  S.  A.  B. 

Answer — Your  chickens  have  taken 
cold  and  may  probably  have  lice.  Try 
to  discover  what  is  giving  them  their 
severe  colds.  It  is  probably  some 
draught.  Put  a  piece  of  bluestone  in 
their  drinking  water  (the  size  of  a 
bean  in  a  quart  of  water)  and  give 
them  a  pill  of  the  following:  Mix  two 
tablespoons  of  lard,  one  each  of  mus- 
tard, red  pepper,  vinegar;  mix  thor- 
oughly, add  sufficient  flour  and  make  a 
stiff  dough.  Give  a  bolus  of  this  as 
big  as  the  first  joint  of  your  little 
finger  every  night. 


Crop-Bound — I  have  about  100  Leg- 
horns; been  very  healthy  all  winter; 
laying  good.  Now  about  six  weeks 
ago  I  lost  eleven  of  the  heaviest  ones 
in  six  days.  They  had  yellow  drop- 
pings; lived  only  two  days  and  died. 
Four  others  died  after  having  a  heavy 
crop  hanging  down;  they  were  ap- 
parently healthy  and  laying  eggs  reg- 
ularly; I  cut  the  crops  off  three  of 
them  and  found  nothing  but  long 
strings  of  hay.  Please  oblige  me  by 
telling  me  the  cause  and  what  reme- 
dies.—A.  F.  H. 

Answer — Your  hens  are  suffering 
from  what  is  called  crop-bound.  They 
eat  long  pieces  of  hay,  which  form 


into  a  ball  in  the  crop  and  cannot  pass 
through  them.  After  a  time  this  fer- 
ments and  decays  and  poisons  the 
chickens,  or  brings  on  inflammation  of 
the  crop.  When  long  pieces  of  grass 
or  hay  cause  this  trouble,  as  in  your 
case,  almost  the  only  remedy  is  to  cut 
open  the  crop  of  the  bird  and  wash  it 
out.  Have  someone  hold  the  bird  so 
you  can  have  both  hands  free  to  work. 
Pluck  enough  feathers  from  the 
breast  to  give  bare  skin  half  an  inch 
wide  by  two  inches  long.  Then  with 
a  sharp  knife  cut  through  the  skin, 
lengthwise  of  the  bird,  an  opening 
one  inch  long  over  the  place  of  the 
swollen  crop.  Cut  only  the  skin,  leav- 
ing the  crop  untouched  until  the  blood 
of  the  first  incision  has  ceased  to 
flow.  Then  cut  through  the  crop  a 
little  over  a  half  inch  long.  Half  an 
inch  may  seem  short,  but  you  will  be 
surprised  to  see  how  large  the  open- 
ing is  after  you  have  worked  through 
it  for  a  while.  In  removing  sub- 
stances from,  the  crop,  be  careful  to 
let  as  little  as  possible  slip  between 
the  skin  and  crop;  with  a  button-hook 
or  anything  else  handy,  remove  the 
contents.  If  filled  with  grass  or  hay, 
it  is  sometimes  necessary  to  cut  the 
mass  with  scissors  before  any  start 
can  be  made.  When  the  crop  is  ap- 
parently empty,  push  your  little  fin- 
ger into  it,  feeling  to  know  whether 
there  is  any  obstruction  at  the  outlet. 
If  you  find  the  opening  clear,  the  last 
thing  is  to  sew  up  the  cut.  With 
needle  and  white  silk  thread,  take  two 
single  stitches  in  the  cut  in  the  crop, 
then  in  the  same  way  take  three 
stitches  in  the  skin,  tying  off  the  silk 
at  each  stitch.  Be  careful  not  to  in- 
clude the  crop  in  the  knot  tied.  After 
the  operation  feed  soft  food,  omit- 
ting grain  for  a  week. 


Sick  Chicks — I  want  your  advice. 
My  little  chicks  seem  to  be  pert  and 
healthy  when  they  are  first  hatched 
and  all  right  until  they  are  two  weeks 
old,  and  then  they  get  all  pasted  up 
in  the  back;  don't  eat,  just  drink  and 
are  sleepy  looking,  droopy  and  die.  I 
have  lost  over  a  dozen  that  way  and 
have  a  lot  more  now  that  are  in  the 
same  condition.  They  have  no  lice 
or  mites,  for  I  have  examined  them, 
and  I  don't  see  how  they  take  cold. 
I  have  barrels  for  them  to  roost  in, 
with  a  screen  in  front  to  protect  them 
from  cats  or  rats,  so  there  is  no 


CAUSE   AND   CURE   OF   SICKNESS 


145 


draught  through  the  barrel  and  I 
don't  feed  them  anything  but  chick 
feed.  I  put  copperas  in  their  water 
this  morning  to  see  if  that  would 
check  it.  I  am  sorry  to  lose  all  my 
chicks  after  I  have  taken  such  good 
care  of  them.  Please  let  me  know  as 
soon  as  possible  what  I  can  do  for 
them  and  oblige.  Yours  truly. — Mrs. 
C.  C.  B. 

Answer — Your  little  chicks  have 
taken  cold,  probably  from  sleeping  in 
a  barrel.  When  little  chicks  have 
bowel  trouble,  it  is  almost  always 
from  taking  cold.  In  mature  hens  a 
cold  affects  the  head,  throat,  bron- 
chial tubes  or  lungs,  whilst  with  lit- 
tle chicks  it  affects  first  the  bowels. 

A  fireless  brooder  might  have 
saved  all  your  chicks.  A  barrel  is 
very  cold,  unless  it  is  well  banked 
up  on  the  outside  and  the  nest  inside 
very  carefully  made.  A  flat  box  is 
much  better.  Copperas  will  not  help 
them;  the  best  thing  for  them  is  rice 
boiled  in  milk  with  a  tablespoonful 
of  ground  cinnamon  to  each  pint  of 
the  milk  added  after  cooking.  Cinna- 
mon is  a  good  disinfectant  and  heal- 
ing and  warming  to  the  bowels.  Cop- 
peras is  cold  and  chilling  and  is  apt 
to  give  indigestion  to  small  chicks. 


fasting  followed  by  a  dose  of  castor 
oil  in  an  hour.  Be  careful  to  clean 
up  and  destroy  the  droppings  or  the 
other  chickens  will  eat  then  and  the 
trouble  will  increase. 


Pullets  Dying — We  have  a  flock  of 
incubator  chicks  that  are  not  doing 
very  well.  The  little  pullets  started 
to  die  when  but  seven  weeks  old  and 
we  lose  one  or  two  every  day.  They 
have  the  whole  farm  to  run  on.  At 
first  they  hang  their  wings  and  act 
sleepy,  then  their  heads  turn  blue  and 
they  die.  We  cannot  find  lice  nor 
fleas  on  them.  They  are  fed  wheat, 
oatmeal,  and  some  onions  and  milk. 
Have  plenty  of  water,  grit  and  char- 
coal. Thanking  you  in  advance,  sin- 
cerely yours. — Mrs.  T.  L. 

Answer — I  think  your  chickens  have 
worms;  the  wings  drooping  and  their 
acting  sleepy  are  two  of  the  most1 
prominent  symptoms  with  worms. 
Cut  open  the  next  one  that  dies  and 
examine  it.  The  best  cure  that  I  have 
found  for  worms  is  ten  drops  of  tur- 
pentine in  a  teaspoonful  of  castor  oil. 
This  is  for  the  common  round  worms. 
For  tape  worms,  which  are  not  so 
common,  the  dose  is  ten  drops  of  tinc- 
ture of  male  fern  on  a  piece  of  bread 
or  a  lump  of  sugar  in  the  morning 


Diphtheric  Roup — Having  derived 
many  useful  ideas  from  your  writings, 
I  take  the  liberty  to  ask  your  advice 
regarding  a  disease  which  has  come 
upon  my  chickens.  The  first  symp- 
toms seem  to  be  a  sneezing  or 
squawking  sound  as  if  the  chicken  had 
a  beard  in  its  throat;  then  a  white 
membrane  forms  over  the  windpipe 
and  the  eyes  close  up  and  lumps 
break  out  around  the  comb.  The 
lumps  finally  break  and  the  eyes  :.nd 
nose  run.  Both  Barred  Rocks  and 
White  Leghorns  are  afflicted.  The 
Barred  seem  to  suffer  the  most. — Mrs. 
R.  F. 

Answer — I  am  sorry  to  say  your 
fowls  have  diphtheric  roup.  It  is  a 
very  infectious  disease  and  if  you  have 
children  you  had  better  keep  Ihem 
away  from  the  fowls.  Spray  the 
mouth,  throat,  nostrils  and  cleft  in  the 
mouth  twice  a  day  with  peroxide  of 
hydrogen.  Give  the  fowls  a  quinine 
pill,  four  nights  in  succession,  and 
once  a  day  a  bolus  of  the  following 
mixture:  Two  spoons  of  lard,  one 
each  of  mustard,  cayenne  pepper  and 
vinegar;  mix  thoroughly,  add  flour 
enough  to  make  stiff  dough;  give  a 
bolus  as  large  as  the  first  joint  of 
your  little  finger  once  every  twenty- 
four  hours.  Put  a  piece  in  a  quart 
of  water,  and  allow  them  no  other 
drinking  water  for  a  week. 


Fatty     Degeneration     of     Liver — I 

have  noticed  a  hen  moping  and  eat- 
ing but  little  for  two  or  three  weeks, 
but  as  I  had  broken  some  up  from 
sitting,  thought  it  the  result  from 
broodiness.  However,  as  she  got  no 
better  I  separated  her  from  the  oth- 
ers, but  yesterday  she  died.  This 
morning  I  did  as  you  advised,  and 
duly  performed  the  autopsy.  I  saw 
at  once  on  making  an  incision  what 
was  the  matter.  Her  liver  was  so  en- 
larged that  it  occupied  almost  the 
whole  cavity.  I  never  saw  one  such 
a  size.  It  was  covered  in  blotches 
of  pink  spots,  small  as  a  pin  point. 
There  was  fat  around  the  heart  and 
gizzard  and  layers  of  fat  around  the 
intestines;  perhaps  a  fifth  of  an  inch 


146 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


thick.  There  was  plenty  of  grit  in 
the  gizzard  but  no  food.  The  heart 
seemed  in  good  condition,  the  body 
a  good  color,  and  flesh  firm.  In  the 
cavities  of  the  back  is  a  substance,  of 
which  I  do  not  know  the  name,  that 
seems  to  be  enlarging  and  hardened. 
There  were  many  eggs  but  very  small 
and  undeveloped.  Is  this  the  kind  of 
liver  which  is  used  as  a  delicacy  and 
produced  by  over-feeding?  My  fowls 
were  fed  corn  all  winter  and  were 
much  too  fat  this  Spring.  In  March 
they  had  layers  of  fat  an  inch  in 
thickness.  I  did  not  suppose  that 
a  laying  hen  ought  to  have  any  fat 
inside  of  her.  How  should  that  be? 
— G.  S.  H. 

Answer — Your  hens  certainly  had 
fatty  degeneration  of  the  liver,  or  the 
disease  which  the  over-fat  geese  have 
when  their  liver  is  considered  a  deli- 
cacy. She  simply  had  been  fed  an  un- 
balanced ration  containing  too  niuch 
of  the  fat  element,  and  being  a  Fly- 
mouth  Rock,  had  become  over-fat. 
The  substance  in  the  cavities  of  the 
back  is  the  kidneys.  There  are  three 
lobes  of  these  on  each  side.  Your 
fattening  ration  had  also  affected 
them.  So  much  fat  will  also  affect 
the  egg  laying,  will  make  small  eggs 
and  chickens  will  be  weakly,  as  there 
will  be  preponderance  of  fat  in  the 
eggs  from  which  they  are  hatched. 
A  laying  hen  should  not  be  anything 
like  as  fat  as  those  you  describe. 


Feather  Pulling — Will  you  kindly 
tell  me  the  cause  of  chickens  pull- 
ing feathers  from  each  other  and 
eating  them?  We  feed  them  wheat, 
cracked  corn,  etc.,  also  ground  bone. 
— G.  H.  T. 

Answer — Various  causes  have  been 
assigned  for  this  habit,  the  most 
probable  being  improper  rations  and 
idleness.  In  some  instances  it  is 
caused  by  mites  or  lice.  As  in  some 
cases,  the  habit  is  due  to  insufficient 
animal  matter  in  the  rations,  or  to 
feeding  too  long  on  a  single  kind 
of  grain,  particularly  corn,  one  of  the 
first  measures  adopted  should  be  a 
well  balanced  ration,  containing 
skim  milk,  meat  bone,  vegetables  or 
green  feed  and  frequently  varied. 
The  Geneva,  New  York,  experiment 
station  applied  to  the  feathers  lard 
or  vaseline  in  which  powdered  aloes 
had  been  mixed.  After  continuing 


this  treatment  for  some  time  the 
habit  disappeared,  due  to  the  dis- 
agreeable taste  of  the  aloes.  The 
skin  and  feathers  should  be  carefully 
examined  for  lice  and  mites  and  if 
these  are  found  the  remedies  recom- 
mended for  such  parasite  should  be 
applied. 


Green  Droppings — I  have  a  White 
Rock  pullet  eight  months  old.  She 
is  dumpy,  does  not  care  to  eat,  her 
droppings  are  grass  green  and  cream 
color  and  very  loose.  I  feed  alfalfa, 
cabbage,  lettuce,  beef-scraps,  blood- 
meal,  bone  meal,  wheat,  kaffir  corn, 
cracked  corn  and  they  have  plenty  of 
sand.  Sometimes  I  put  salts,  soda 
and  blijestone  in  their  drinking  water, 
and  sulphur  and  red  pepper  in  their 
mash.— Mrs  D.  A.  S. 

Answer — I  think  you  are  giving 
your  pullet  too  much  medicine,  and 
have  upset  her  digestion.  Put  her  by 
herself,  give  her  rice  boiled  in  milk 
with  a  little  cinnamon  added  and 
sharp  grit  and  charcoal.  Sand  is  not 
coarse  enough  for  hens.  Also  give 
her  green  crisp  lettuce.  Green  food 
does  not  give  hens  looseness  of  the 
bowels  but  keeps  them  in  good 
health. 


Heart  Trouble — I  have  a  very  fine 
rooster  two  years  old.  For  the  past 
two  months  he  has  been  troubled  by 
some  difficulty  in  breathing.  At  times 
his  comb  and  wattles  become  purple 
for  two  or  three  minutes,  then  the 
color  gets  red  again.  I  have  looked 
for  canker  but  cannot  find  anything 
that  seems  wrong.  Have  used  vase- 
line but  it  has  not  done  any  good. 
It  seems  to  me  more  like  asthma  or 
bronchitis.  Wish  I  could  cure  him 
for  he  is  a  valuable  bird. — Mrs.  I.  G. 

Answer — I  am  sorry  to  say  that 
your  bird  has  heart-trouble.  This  has 
been  brought  on  by  some  great  excite- 
ment, such  as  fighting,  fright  or  being 
chased.  It  may  possibly  be  fat  on 
the  heart,  which  weakens  that  useful 
organ.  You  might  try  giving  him  in 
the  drinking  water  mix  vomica  and 
sulphur  comp.  2x  twelve  tablets  to 
each  pint  of  drinking  water.  Be 
careful  to  give  him  plenty  of  green 
food  and  grit,  besides  his  ordinary 
food.  Cases  of  this  kind  are  almost 
incurable,  but  the  treatment  I  have 
indicated  may  help  him  and  prolong 
his  life. 


CAUSE  AND   CURE   OF   SICKNESS 


147 


Hemorrhage  of  Oviduct — I  wish  a 
little  information  in  regard  to  a  Leg- 
horn hen  that  died  yesterday.  She 
apparently  choked  to  death;  made  a 
queer  noise.  We  opened  her  and 
found  at  the  bottom  of  her  egg  bag 
a  large  clot  of  black  blood.  Can  you 
tell  me  what  it  was  and  if  there  is  any 
cure  for  it? 

Answer — Your  White  Leghorn  hen 
had  a  hemorrhage  of  the  oviduct;  this 
is  excited  by  any  of  the  causes 
which  lead  to  congestion  and  inflam- 
mation and  may  be  counteracted  by 
green  feed  and  the  suppression  of  egg 
foods,  stimulants,  red  pepper,  etc. 
It  sometimes  occurs  from  trying  to 
pass  too  large  an  egg.  There  is  no 
cure  that  I  know  of,  as  death  occurs 
before  one  finds  out  what  is  the  mat- 
ter. 


ness  to  feed  your  fowls  every  time 
they  come  near  yo,u.  It  is  far  kinder 
to  keep  them  working  for  it  and  so 
keep  them  healthy. 


Indigestion  and  Liver  Complaint — 

My  hens  are  on  a  strike,  and  their 
faces  and  combs  are  becoming  pale  or 
yellow.  What  is  it?— I.  S.  B. 

Answer — You  have  been  over-feed- 
ing, and  now  your  fowls  have  indiges- 
tion. Indigestion  in  fowls  is  the 
cause  of  many  ailments.  With  your 
birds  it  has  been  brought  on  by  lack 
of  grit,  with  not  sufficient  roughness 
(or  filling)  and  too  little  exercise. 
How  can  indigestion  be  prevented? 
By  dieting.  Feed  more  bulky  foods, 
such  as  alfalfa,  and  less  solids.  A 
continued  grain  diet  of  wheat,  corn, 
barley,  if  few  in  quantities  and  not 
varied  by  bulky  foods,  vegetables, 
etc.,  will  bring  on  indigestion,  es- 
pecially when  but  little  exercise  is 
taken.  An  insufficiency  of  clean  wa- 
ter is  also  conducive  to  this  trouble. 
Clover,  alfalfa,  any  of  the  green  stuffs 
or  vegetables,  usually  fed  to  fowls, 
are  absolutely  necessary  preserva- 
tives of  health.  Now,  as  to  a  remedy: 
Your  fowls'  indigestion  has  taken  the 
phase  of  biliousness.  Give  each  af- 
fected hen  one  of  Carter's  Little  Liv- 
er Pills,  and  give  the  whole  flock  a 
teaspoonful  of  baking  soda  in  a  quart 
of  water  every  day  for  a  week.  Give 
no  other  water.  Why  do  I  recom- 
mend soda?  Because  it  helps  to  emul- 
sify the  too  much  fat  in  the  bowels. 
You  might  give  a  teaspoonful  of  Ep- 
som salts  in  the  water  for  a  week,  to 
carry  off  the  bile  which  is  overflow- 
ing into  the  intestines  and  being  tak- 
en into  the  system.  It  is  not  kind- 


Inflammation  of  the  Crop — I  have  a 
Buff  Orpington  hen  that  has  a  dis- 
ease I  have  never  seen  before.  Her 
craw  is  swollen  to  several  times  its 
normal  size  and  is  filled  with  wind  or 
gas.  She  eats  but  not  as  much  as 
she  should  and  is  getting  thinner  all 
the  time. — H.  Y. 

Answer — Your  hen  is  suffering 
from  inflammation  of  the  crop.  This 
is  like  a  very  severe  attack  of  indi- 
gestion. The  causes  of  this  are  irre- 
gular feeding  or  too  much  food  be- 
ing taken  at  one  time.  Partially  de- 
composed meat,  or  putrid  food  of  any 
kind  will  also  cause  congestion  and 
fermentation  of  the  contents  of  the 
crop.  The  same  disease  occurs  when 
birds  eat  substances  containing  phos- 
phorus or  arsenic,  or  rat  poison.  The 
feeding  of  too  large  a  quantity  of 
pepper  or  stimulating  "egg  food"  in 
the  mash  will  also  cause  inflamed 
crop  as  well  as  trouble  with  the  egg 
function. 

Treatment — A  clean,  dry  pen 
should  be  provided  for  the  affected 
bird.  Empty  the  crop  of  its  irritating 
and  decomposing  contents  by  careful 
pressure  and  manipulation  while  the 
bird  is  held  with  its  head  downward 
When  the  crop  is  freed  of  its  con- 
tents, give  two  grains  of  subnitrate  of 
bismuth  and  one-half  grain  of  bi- 
carbonate of  soda  in  a  teaspoon  of 
water.  The  bird  should  then  be  kept 
without  food  for  eighteen  hours  and 
then  fed  sparingly  upon  easily  digest- 
ed food,  such  as  bread  and  milk. 
Half  a  grain  of  quinine  morning  and 
night  for  two  or  three  days  will 
complete  the  cure. 


Influenza — I  am  in  trouble  with  my 
chickens.  Five  of  them  have  died 
since  Monday.  They  open  their 
mouths  and  gasp  for  breath  and 
sneeze  and  their  eyes  are  very  wa- 
tery. I  feed  wheat,  cracked  corn, 
plenty  of  green  stuff  and  table  scraps 
and.  they  have  a  good  run.  I  always 
wash  out  their  drinking  pans  and 
rake  out  under  their  roosts  at  least 
every  other  morning. — Mrs.  J.  F.  S. 


148 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


Answer — Your  chickens  have  in- 
fluenza. They  are  taking  cold  in 
some  way.  Either  there  is  a  draught 
in  their  house  or  the  rain  comes  in 
on  them;  a  few  have  had  the  cold 
and  they  are  giving  it  to  the  rest. 
Keep  blue-stone  in  their  water,  and 
give  each  of  them  a  bolus  of  the  fol- 
lowing, night  and  morning:  Mix  two 
tablespoons  of  lard,  one  tablespoon 
each  of  cayenne  pepper,  mustard, 
vinegar;  mix  thoroughly,  add  enough 
flour  to  make  stiff  dough;  roll  out; 
give  a  bolus  as  large  as  the  end  of 
your  little  finger.  Put  carbolated 
vaseline  up  their  nostrils  and  in  the 
cleft  of  the  mouth,  and  give  them 
chopped  onions  in  their  food. 

Leg  Weakness — I  am  in  trouble 
over  my  White  Rock  chickens.  I 
only  have  a  few,  so  would  like  to 
save  them.  When  they  are  about 
three  weeks  old  they  get  weak  in 
the  kgs,  and  after  a  week  or  so  they 
begin  to  tremble  like  a  person  that 
is  nervous.  They  eat  well  until  the 
last.  I  feed  boiled  egg  and  bread 
crumbs.  They  have  green  barley  to 
run  on.  I  feed  kaffir  corn  at  night. 
During  the  day  I  feed  onions  and 
table  scraps.  If  you  could  tell  me 
what  to  do  I  would  be  a  thousand 
times  obliged. — Mrs.  W.  K. 

Answer — Your  chickens  are  suffer- 
ing from  what  is  called  "leg  weak- 
ness." Leg  weakness  comes  chiefly 
from  wrong  feeding,  also  from  over- 
crowding at  night  and  overheating. 

Young  chickens  should  either  be  al- 
lowed free  range  with  a  hen  or  be 
encouraged  to  work  and  scratch  for 
their  food.  This  strengthens  their 
legs.  The  green  food  should  form  at 
least  one-third  of  their  diet  and  for 
such  young  chickens  it  would  have  to 
be  chopped  up  finely.  They  cannot 
peck  off  sufficient  green  barley.  It 
soon  becomes  too  tough  for  them. 
The  cure  for  leg  weakness  is  a  little 
tonic  (a  few  drops  of  iron  in  their 
drinking  water)  and  plenty  of  green 
food  and  cracked  wheat  instead  of 
kaffir  corn.  If  it  comes  from  over- 
crowding or  overheating,  either  un- 
der a  hen  or  in  a  brooder,  you  must 
rectify  this.  See  that  they  have 
"chick  grit  and  charcoal." 


write   to   ask  you   to   be   kind   enough 
to  diagnose  it. 

The  chicks  are  Black  Minorcas  and 
are  fourteen  days  old.  They  seemed 
to  be  doing  well  till  yesterday.  One 
or  two  all  at  once  got  so  they  could 
not  stand  up  or  walk  but  looked 
bright.  This  morning  there  are  half 
a  dozen  affected  the  same  way.  I 
feed  them  a  chick  feed  I  have  used 
for  several  years,  curd,  charcoal,  and 
plenty  of  grit  and  always  give  the 
fresh  water  three  or  four  times  a 
day.  For  the  last  three  days  they 
have  run  in  a  lettuce  patch  part  of 
the  day.  I  have  a  hot  air  brooder, 
plenty  of  fresh  air  at  night.  No 
sign  of  lice  and  I  use  a  powder  in 
the  brooder  once  a  week.  I  have 
raised  chickens  for  several  years  but 
have  never  had  any  trouble  like  this 
and  I  would  be  greatly  obliged  if 
you  can  diagnose  the  case  and  give 
a  remedy. — Mrs  P.  V.  M.,  Sacra- 
mento. 

Answer — The  symptoms  you  de- 
scribe are  those  of  poisoning  or  sud- 
den and  acute  indigestion.  I  can  only 
suggest  that  it  may  be  that  the  chick 
feed  has  mouldy  grain  in  it  or  there 
may  be  ptomaine  poison  in  the  beef 
scrap.  I  would  suggest  that  you  put 
a  little  bicarbonate  of  soda  in  the 
drinking  water.  Give  all  the  succu- 
lent green  food  that  j'ou  can  per- 
suade them  to  eat  and  to  each  af- 
fected chick  administer  without  de- 
lay ten  drops  of  castor  oil.  Try  *o 
find  out  where  the  poison  comes 
from,  change  all  the  bedding  in  the 
brooder  and  brooder  house  and  scald 
the  brooder  thoroughly  with  hot  soap 
suds.  When  any  sudden  trouble  like 
this  comes,  try  to  find  the  cause  of 
it  and  remove  it.  I  feel  sure  it  is 
poison  of  some  kind,  either  ptomaine 
or  fungoid,  such  -as  mouldy  bread  or 
mildewed  grain. 


Acute  Indigestion — I  am  in  trouble 
with    some   incubator    chicks     and     I 


Limber  Neck — We  have  between 
200  and  300  chicks  two  months  old 
that  are  badly  affiicted  with  limber 
neck,  and  we  cannot  find  out  the 
cause.  The  first  two  or  three  weeks 
we  fed  them  millet  and  Johnnie  cake 
made  stiff  and  dry,  of  coarse  corn 
meal,  but  they  began  to  get  sick,  so 
changed  to  dry  food,  consisting  of 
cracked  wheat,  millet,  beef-scraps  and 
grit,  but  the  chicks  got  no  better,  so 
now  we  are  using  just  wheat  and 


CAUSE  AND  CURE  OF  SICKNESS 


149 


grit.  They  have  lettuce  every  day 
and  often  young  vegetables — tops  and 
all.  Until  about  a  week  ago  they 
were  kept  by  themselves  in  wire 
pens,  but  as  an  experiment  my  hus- 
band let  them  out  to  run  and  still 
they  get  sick.  They  do  not  all  die 
as  I  bring  them  to  the  house  as  soon 
as  we  find  the  sick  ones,  but  from 
one  to  seven  die  nearly  every  day. 
They  have  fresh  water  every  morn- 
ing. I  do  not  try  to  doctor  them, 
but  just  keep  them  warm.  I  have  saved 
some  pretty  sick  ones  in  that  way. 
They  are  such  a  bother  and  we  have 
lost  so  many  in  that  way.  The  flock 
which  is  the  most  affected  had  a  ha- 
bit of  huddling  when  they  were  small, 
until  they  would  sweat  and  some- 
times die.  Do  you  suppose  that 
could  have  anything  to  do  with  the 
present  troubles? — Mrs  F.  L. 

Answer — Limber  neck  is  due  to  a 
disorder  of  the  nervous  system  and 
is  usually  the  result  of  disturbances 
of  the  digestive  organs  from  severe 
attacks  of  indigestion  or  from  infesta- 
tion with  worm  parasites.  Chicks 
are  sometimes  affected  in  this  manner 
by  unusually  hot  day  and  nights.  I 
think  very  probably  their  digestive  or- 
gans were  weakened  by  being  over- 
heated when  they  huddled  and  I 
would  give  the  whole  flock  plenty  of 
charcoal  to  eat,  with  plenty  of  green 
food  and  animal  food,  and  no  millet, 
as  millet  is  very  hard  to  digest.  Give 
the  sick  birds  a  small  piece  of  gum 
asafoetida,  about  the  size  of  a  green 
pea.  Repeat  the  dose  the  second  day. 
This  will  usually  cure.  Feed  them 
with  bruised  garlic  or  with  chopped 
up  onions.  Give  them  grit  or  very 
coarse  sand  in  boxes  to  assist  in  the 
digestion,  and  I  think  you  will  have 
no  further  trouble. 

It  is  possible  that  your  chickens 
have  worms.  You  had  better  open 
the  next  one  that  dies  and  examine 
it  and  if  you  find  it  infected,  give  the 
others  turpentine  in  the  drinking  wa- 
ter, half  a  teaspoonful  to  a  pint  of 
water  (giving  no  other  drinking  wa- 
ter) or  if  you  prefer  it  give  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  Castor  oil  with  ten  drops 
of  turpentine  in  it  to  each  sick  chick. 
The  chickens  dislike  the  turpentine  in 
the  water  but  it  will  kill  the  com- 
mon round  worms  if  continued  for  a 
week. 


Liver  Trouble  or  Poison— I  want 
your  advice  and  a  remedy  for  my 
sick  fowls.  The  eymptoms  are  brief- 
ly stated:  Grown  chickens  affected 
droop  for  two  days,  comb  turns 
black  and  they  die.  Have  lost  nine 
in  two  days. 

My  chickens  have  free  range,  fresh 
water  and  plenty  of  barnyard  scratch- 
ing with  Egyptian  corn  every  night. 
— C.  V.  N. 

Answer — The  symptoms  you  de- 
scribe denote  either  liver  trouble  or 
poison.  In  your  case  I  think  per- 
haps it  is  poison,  either  from  rat 
poison,  gopher  or  some  poisonous 
weed.  You  had  better  hold  a  post 
mortem  examination  on  the  next  one 
that  dies  and  then  you  will  be  able 
to  tell  just  what  the  trouble  is. 


Mange— I  have  a  Plymouth  Rock 
hen  that-  has  the  under  part  of  her 
body  and  legs  and  feet  covered  with 
hard,  scaley  sores  of  all  sizes  from  a 
bean  to  a  couple  of  inches  across. 
Some  are  light  yellow,  some  red  and 
some  purple  in  color.  She  seems  to 
be  all  right  otherwise,  eats  good  and 
comb  and  head  look  red  and  healthy. 
Please  tell  me  what  ails  my  hen  and 
if  I  can  cure  her. — Mrs  A.  H.  S. 

Answer — I  think  your  hen  has 
mange.  I  would  advise  you  to  kill 
her  and  bury  deeply  or  burn  the  body 
because  when  it  is  as  virulent  as  you 
describe,  it  would  be  very  difficult  to 
cure  and  all  those  kind  of  diseases  are 
exceedingly  infectious.  Carbolic 
salve  at  the  first  might  have  cured 
her  but  now  it  is  too  late  and  the 
time,  trouble  and  expense  of  treat- 
ment, with  the  probability  of  the 
others  becoming  affected,  would  not 
pay. 

Naked  Chicks— Thinking  perhaps 
you  can  help  us  I  will  ask  you  for  a 
little  of  your  time.  Late  in  October 
we  bought  a  hen  caring  for  thirty 
chicks.  We  have  fed  them  cracked 
corn,  meat  scraps,  plenty  of  green 
stuff,  charcoal  and  grit.  They  fea- 
thered out  but  since  many  of  them 
have  become  bald,  and  the  feathers 
fall  from  their  neck  and  they  are 
growing  thin,  still  their  wing  feathers 
are  long,  making  them  look  very 
queer.  They  are  not  incubator 
chicks,  and  we  have  examined  them 
closely  for  mites,  have  dusted  them 


150 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


for  lice  and  they  are  quite  free  from 
either.  What  do  you  think  is  the 
cause  and  what  can  we  do  for  them? 
— H.  A.  S. 

Answer — Your  chickens  are  hud- 
dling at  night,  crowding  too  closely 
together.  This  makes  them  sweat 
and  their  feathers  fall  out.  Put  a 
little  carbolated  vaseline  on  their 
heads  and  cut  the  feathers  of  their 
wings  as  close  as  you  can  without 
making  them  bleed.  Give  them  wheat 
and  more  meat  in  their  food  and  try 
to  prevent  their  crowding  at  night. 
It  is  the  crowding  and  lack  of  wheat 
in  the  food,  lack  of  protein,  that  pre- 
vents the  feathers  growing,  and  the 
sweating  makes  them  fall  out  and 
will  make  the  chickens  thin. 


Ovarian  Tumor — I  had  a  nice  Or- 
pington hen;  she  had  been  laying 
each  day  and  appeared  to  be  -perfectly 
healthy;  comb  red,  went  around  seem- 
ing quite  well.  I  feed  cracked  corn 
and  wheat,  table  scraps,  and  the 
chickens  have  good  range  and  plenty 
of  good  food.  About  four  days  ago 
the  Orpington  appeared  to  be  lame 
in  the  right  leg.  I  caught  her,  ex- 
amined the  foot  and  leg,  could  see 
nothing  wrong  and  she  continued 
lame,  and  with  difficulty  got  on  the 
nest.  To  all  appearances  the  leg  was 
broken,  as  it  was  harder  for  her  to 
walk  each  day.  Rather  than  see  her 
suffer  I  had  her  killed.  I  dissected 
her;  she  was  very  fat  with  an  abund- 
ance of  eggs,  one  soft  shell.  I  found 
in  the  right  side  of  the  back  a  growth 
about  the  size  of  a  pigeon  egg,  which 
appeared  to  be  part  of  the  egg  bag. 
The  liver  and  other  organs  appeared 
to  be  healthy.  I  hope  that  you  may 
be  able  to  tell  me  what  the  growth 
was  and  if  there  is  a  cure  for  it,  in 
case  any  of  the  other  hens  have  such 
symptoms.  The  hen  was  about  two 
and  a  half  years  old.  Would  age 
have  a  tendency  to  hinder  her? — Mrs. 
H.  R.  B. 

Answer — Your  hen  had  what  is 
called  an  ovarian  tumor.  The  trou- 
ble is  very  common,  and  yet  we  don't 
know  very  much  about  it.  I  am  in- 
clined to  think  that  if  investigations 
covering  a  large  number  of  fowls  kept 
under  a  variety  of  conditions  were 
made,  it  would  be  found  that  cases  of 
tumor  like  this  are  more  abundant 
among  fowls  kept  closely  confined,  or 


fed  heavily  for  egg  production,  than 
among  those  kept  under  more  natural 
conditions.  It  is  quite  reasonable  al- 
so to  suppose  that  the  offspring  of 
hens  heavily  forced  for  egg  produc- 
tion would  show  weakness  of  the  re- 
productive system,  resulting  in  dis- 
eases of  this  character.  It  possibly 
also  may  come  from  an  injury  of 
some  kind.  Undoubtedly  some 
strains  or  families  are  more  subject 
to  it  than  others.  There  is  no  cure 
for  it  and  the  only  preventive  is  to 
keep  the  hens  healthy  and  busy. 


Over  Fat  Hens— I  have  about  two 
dozen  Buff  Orpington  hens  and  have 
had  no  eggs  for  four  months.  They 
appear  as  healthy  as  can  be.  For 
some  time  I  fed  them  wheat  twice  a 
day  and  the  table  scraps.  I  began 
to  think  I  was  not  feeding  the  proper 
foods;  then  I  got  bran  and  an  egg 
maker  and  also  bought  cabbage  for 
them  and  still  no  eggs.  They  have 
lots  of  exercise  and  gravel  and  are 
so  fat  you  cannot  eat  them.  Please 
tell  me  what  to  do  to  reduce  the  fat. 
The  past  two  weeks  I  have  been  giv- 
ing them  just  the  scraps  from  the 
table.  Tell  me,  is  that  the  proper 
method  to  reduce  fat? — Mrs  A.  C.  S. 

Answer — Your  hens  are  so  fat  that 
they  cannot  lay.  The  whole  inside  of 
them  is  filled  full  of  fat  so  the  eggs 
cannot  pass  down  the  egg  duct.  The 
best  plan  would  be  to  kill  and  eat, 
or  sell  the  fowls,  because  they  will 
not  make  satisfactory  layers  after 
being  so  fat. 

However,  if  you  wish  to  keep  them, 
your  only  plan  will  be  not  to  give 
any  grain,  or  any  table  scraps  until 
they  are  reduced  in  fat;  give  only 
green  alfalfa  or  lawn  clippings,  for 
two  weeks,  then  commence  and  feed 
half  an  ounce  of  meat  per  hen  per 
day  and  lawn  clippings;  no  grain  or 
bread,  and  in  about  a  month  they 
may  begin  to  lay. 


Pendulous  Crop — I  have  a  hen, 
and  its  crop  hangs  down  so  far  that 
when  it  walks  its  feet  are  always 
hitting  it.  We  cut  it  open  once  and 
only  the  corn  and  feed  it  had  eaten 
came  out  of  it.  I  have  thought  I 
would  kill  it,  but  I  was  afraid  it 
might  be  a  tumor  and  that  the  hen 
would  not  be  fit  to  eat.  She  seems 
healthy  otherwise. 


CAUSE  AND  CURE  OF  SICKNESS 


151 


Answer — Your  hen  has  a  pendulous 
crop.  This  is  usually  caused  by  over- 
feeding of  mash  at  some  time  in  her 
life.  It  sometimes  can  be  cured  by  a 
surgical  operation.  I  would  advise 
you  to  kill  and  eat  the  hen,  as  in 
time  the  crop  will  become  sore.  You 
can  easily  see  before  you  eat  it  if  a 
tumor  has  developed,  in  which  case 
bury  it. 


Poisoning — For  some  time  I  have 
read  your  articles  and  know  that  you 
are  different  from  the  majority  of 
poultry  writers,  in  this,  that  you 
know  what  you  are  writing  about. 
I  wish  to  ask  you  to  please  tell  me 
what  is  ailing  a  fine  White  Wyan- 
dotte  cock  I  have.  He  has  been  ail- 
ing about  two  months.  He  was  just 
starting  in  the  moult  when  he  com- 
menced looseness  of  the  bowels  which 
I  cured,  when  one  evening,  as  I  came 
to  shut  them  up,  I  found  him  on  the 
ground  unable  to  get  on  the  roosts; 
when  I  lifted  him  on  the  roost  he 
fell  as'  though  dizzy  and  tumbled 
over  and  over.  Ever  since  that  time 
he  has  been  getting  worse.  Now, 
with  the  least  excitement,  he  will 
squat  on  the  ground  and  twist  his 
head  and  neck  entirely  around,  often 
with  his  bill  turned  straight  up. 

Answer — The  symptoms  you  de- 
scribe are  those  of  ptomaine  poison- 
ing. This  is  caused  by  bad  meat  or 
bad  milk  or  spoilt  beef  scraps.  Also 
by  musty  or  smooty  grain  and  for- 
maline. The  treatment  is:  give  a  pill 
of  asafoetida  about  the  size  of  a  pea 
every  night  for  a  week;  for  the  same 
length  of  time  put  bicarbonate  of  soda 
in  the  water,  about  a  teaspoonful  to 
a  quart  of  water;  give  him  some  char- 
coal in  the  feed  and  avoid  feeding 
whatever  is  causing  the  trouble. 

The  preservative  which  butchers 
put  on  the  meat  acts  as  a  poison  and 
many  fine  birds  have  been  lost 
by  this  without  the  owners  discover- 
ing the  trouble.  It  seems  to  partly 
paralyze  the  bird. 


Ptomaine  Poison — I  am  in  great 
trouble  and  come  to  you  for  advice. 
My  splendid  White  Leghorn  chickens 
are  dying  like  flies  and  I  do  not 
know  the  cause  nor  what  to  do  for 
them. 

Today  I  lost  ten  and  I  am  afraid 
I  may  lose  the  whole  lot  of  them.  I 


opened  several  to  see  if  I  could  find 
the  cause,  but  they  look  all  right, 
with  the  exception  of  the  crop  which 
has  nothing  in  it^  but  wind  or  air. 
The  chickens  are  seemingly  all  right 
and  suddenly  they  will  lie  down,  put 
their  heads  under  their  bodies,  and 
after  a  while  they  will  die. 

My  chickens  have  plenty  of  exer- 
cise, lots  of  green  food,  grit  and  run- 
ning water.  They  can  run  at  will 
all  over  the  ranch  and  I  feed  them 
some  every  day.  I  am  putting  some 
pulverized  asafoetida  in  their  mash  as 
a  disinfectant.  My  chicken  house  is 
new  and  in  good  order. — Mrs.  K.  G., 
Polasky. 

Answer — Sudden  symptoms  such  as 
you  describe  come  from  poison  of 
some  kind  which  brings  on  an  attack 
of  acute  indigestion.  The  difficulty  is 
to  decide  what  the  poison  is  and 
where  the  chickens  get  it. 

I  think  your  chickens,  being  on  free 
range,  are  finding  and  eating  putrid 
animal  food  of  some  kind  and  that 
they  are  suffering  from  ptomaine 
poison. 

Rotten  vegetables  or  moulded  grain 
or  vegetables  have  the  same  effect, 
although  that  is  from  a  fungoid  poi- 
son. 

The  treatment  in  either  case  would 
be  about  the  same.  First  remove  the 
poison  from  the  ranch,  look  for  any 
dead  chicken,  bird,  gopher,  etc.,  and 
bury  deeply  or  burn.  Continue  the 
asafoetida  in  the  mash  but  also  add 
a  teaspoonful  of  castor  oil  for  each 
chick  the  first  morning  and  in  every 
mash  for  some  time  to  come  put  pow- 
dered charcoal  and  sulphur,  a  quar- 
ter of  a  teaspoonful  to  each  chick. 


Poison — I  thank  you  very  much 
for  your  kind  advice.  I  feed  now  as 
you  direct  me,  with  fairly  good  re- 
sults. The  beef  scrap  of  which  I  send 
you  a  sample,  I  bought  at  - 
and  it  killed  my  chickens. 

I  fed  it  to  different  flocks  at  differ- 
ent times  with  the  same  result  and  I 
am  positive  it  is  this  beef  scrap  and 
nothing  else  that  poisoned  my  chick- 
ens. I  wonder  how  many  people  have 
lost  chickens  through  these  same  peo- 
ple who  sold  to  me.  Perhaps  they 
sell  good  scrap  sometimes,  but  this 
is  bad  and  smells  bad. 

What  is  the  best  way  to  feed  rab- 
bits to  hens?  I  cannot  grind  them  in 
a  bone  cutter,  can  I? — J.  H. 


152 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


Answer — The  beef  scrap  that  you 
sent  me  certainly  does  not  smell  at 
all  good.  It  often  occurs  in  the  sum- 
mer that  beef  scrap  that  may  have 
been  good  earlier  in  the  year  has 
become  moist  or  heated  and  a  poi- 
son has  developed  in  it,  so  in  the 
summer  I  advise  poultry  raisers  to 
buy  it  only  in  small  quantities  and 
try  to  have  it  as  sweet  as  possible. 

You  know  I  feared  it  was  the  beef 
scrap  and  so  advised  you  to  use  milk 
and  wild  game  and  to  avoid  the  beef 
scrap.  You  will  have  to  skin  the 
rabbits  or  squirrels  and  then  you  can 
surely  grind  them  up  in  your  bone 
cutter  or  if  you  cannot  you  might 
hack  them  up  with  at  hatchet  on  a 
block  of  wood,  or  you  can  boil  them 
and  let  the  hens  peck  the  meat  off 
and  then  chop  the  bones  up  on  the 
block.  The  hens  will  come  running 
when  they  hear  that  hatchet  chop- 
ping. I  have  had  them  running  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  to  get  the  bones 
that  were  flying  off  the  hatchet.  The 
rabbit  and  squirrel  bones  chop  very 
easily  and  the  hens  do  love  them. 


Poison — I  want  to  know  what  is 
the  matter  with  my  friend's  chickens. 
They  are  a  mixed  flock,  one  year  old, 
all  laying.  They  are  fed  on  scraps 
or  garbage. 

The  first  thing  she  noticed  they 
were  on  the  roost  hanging  their 
heads  down  as  far  as  they  could 
stretch.  Then  they  fall  on  the  ground 
and  run  their  heads  out  as  far  as  they 
can,  and  die  three  or  four  days  later. 
She  has  lost  seventeen. — Mrs  F. 

Answer — This  is  what  is  called 
"limber  neck,"  and  comes  from  poi- 
soning by  bad  (putrid)  meat,  fish, 
or  garbage  that  is  moldy.  Tell  your 
friend  to  put  a  little  bicarbonate  of 
soda  in  the  drinking  water — a  small 
teaspoonful  to  a  quart — and  to  give 
also  ground  charcoal  in  the  food  and 
give  each  hen  that  is  so  affected  a 
dose  of  either  Epsom  salts  (half  a 
teaspoonful)  dissolved  in  water,  or  a 
teaspoonful  of  castor  oil. 

Mildew  Poison — Will  you  kindly 
answer  the  following  questions:  "My 
White  Leghorns  are  dying  from 
bowel  trouble.  Two  were  sick  for 
two  days.  I  have  noticed  this  since 
I  began  feeding  a  dark  variety  of 
wheat  or  mildewed  wheat.  The  hens 
have  not  laid  well  and  their  combs 


are  dark.  I  think  it  is  the  wheat. 
Will  you  please  tell  me  a  remedy? 
Do  you  think  it  is  the  wheat? — Mrs. 
J.  W.  H. 

Answer — Mildew  is  poisonous  to 
fowls  and  the  wheat  you  are  feeding 
them  is  killing  them.  Stop  giving 
them  that  wheat,  and  give  them  a 
little  charcoal  in  their  food  and  also 
a  little  carbonate  of  soda  in  their 
drinking  water,  about  a  half-teaspoon- 
ful  of  bicarbonate  of  soda  to  a  quart 
of  drinking  water.  But  there  will  be 
no  use  in  doctoring  if  you  keep  on 
feeding  them  the  poisonous  wheat. 


Pip — I  have  read  your  remarks 
carefully  for  over  a  year,  but  do  not 
remember  anything  about  pip.  All 
my  flock  have  it,  one  year  and  three 
days  old.  How  do  they  get  it?  Is 
it  hereditary?  If  so,  is  it  in  the 
strain  or  the  breed,  White  Wyan- 
dottes?  Is  it  fatal?  If  so,  in  what 
time?  What  is  your  treatment? 

Thanking  you  for  your  reply,  I  am, 
very  respectfully. — W.  H. 

Answer — I  have  not  seen  a  genuine 
case  of  "pip"  for  many  a  long  year — 
in  fact,  never  in  California.  The 
poultry  medical  books  here  assert 
that  it  is  only  a  symptom  of  a  dis- 
ease and  not  a  disease  at  all;  that  it 
is  only  a  dryness  of  the  tongue  pro- 
duced by  feverishness  and  rapid 
breathing.  However,  I  well  remem- 
ber the  disease  at  my  grandmother's 
in  Europe  and  there  the  cure  was 
very  simple. 

The  pip  there  was  a  real  disease. 
It  was  a  small  horn  or  scale  that 
grew  on  the  end  of  the  tongue.  The 
tip  of  it  was  quite  sharp,  almost  like 
a  thorn,  and  the  edges  were  almost 
as  sharp  as  a  knife.  The  sharp  point 
and  edges  seem  to  prevent  the  fowls 
from  picking  up  and  swallowing  the 
grain  and  they  die  of  starvation. 

When  we  noticed  a  hen  which  drop- 
ped the  grain  we  examined  her  and 
if  we  found  a  hard,  sharp  scale  on  the 
tip  of  the  tongue  we  would  remove 
it  with  the  thumb  nail,  scaling  it  off, 
commencing  under  the  tip  of  the  ton- 
gue. Then  we  touched  the  spot  with 
borax  and  honey  and  gave  the  hen  a 
dose  of  Epsom  safts,  about  a  quar- 
ter of  a  teaspoonful,  or  a  lump  of 
very  salt  butter.  We  fed  soft  food 
for  a  few  days.  The  hens  recovered 
quickly. 


CAUSE  AND   CURE   OF   SICKNESS 


is; 


Poisoned— Yesterday  morning  I 
found  nine  big  chickens  in  my  yard 
dead  and  about  twelve  more  are  dy- 
ing. What  is  the  cause?  They  sit  on 
the  ground,  do  not  eat  and  the  head 
hangs  loose  on  the  ground.  The  comb 
is  dark  and  in  the  throat  is  a  sticky 
slime  like  white  mucilage.  No  bad 
smell;  sometimes  they  jump  a  foot 
and  lay  down  again.  I  fear  they  will 
all  die.  To  a  few  I  gave  a  teaspoon- 
ful  of  olive  oil,  and  to  some  others 
fresh  milk.  I  cannot  imagine  what  it 
is. 

Other  fowls  in  the  next  yard  are 
not  affected,  and  all  had  the  same 
food.— Mrs.  F.  C.  P. 

Answer — Your  chickens  have  lim- 
ber necks  from  ptomaine  poisoning. 
Give  the  whole  flock  hypo-sulphite  of 
soda;  dissolve  one  teaspoonful  in  a 
quart  of  drinking  water.  And  to  each 
chicken  that  is  affected  give  a  piece 
of  asafoetida  about  the  size  of  a  green 
pea.  Use  the  gum  form,  and  repeat 
the  dose  the  second  day.  This  dis- 
ease usually  comes  from  severe  at- 
tacks of  indigestion,  caused  by  eating 
bad  animal  food,  or  the  decaying  car- 
cass of  a  dead  animal.  Putrid'  meat 
or  putrid  milk  will  cause  it. 


Rheumatism — I  have  a  White  Ply- 
mouth Rock  hen  about  eight  months 
old,  which  seems  to  have  rheumatism. 
She  is  very  fat,  and  a  few  days  ago 
she  walked  lame  in  one  leg  and  the 
next  morning  she  was  lame  in  both 
legs  and  now  she  cannot  stand  erect, 
but  walks  and  crawls  on  her  legs,  the 
legs  being  drawn  up  under  her  so 
that  in  moving  around  she  does  not 
seem  to  be  able  to  straighten  out  her 
legs,  but  moves  with  them  underneath, 
from  the  knee  down  being  flat  on  the 
ground.  Can  you  tell  me  what  is  the 
matter,  and  a  remedy? — W.  A.  B. 

Answer — I  am  afraid  your  hen  has 
rheumatism  from  liver  trouble, 
brought  on  by  overfeeding,  with  in- 
sufficient exercise,  and  I  cannot  hold 
out  any  hope  of  a  cure  at  her  age. 
If  she  is  not  feverish,  she  would  be 
good  for  the  table,  but  being  very 
fat,  and  with  this  rheumatic  ten- 
dency, she  would  never  make  a  good 
'layer,  and  the  hatchet  is  the  only 
cure  for  her.  For  the  rest  of  the 
flock,  give  them  Epsom  salts  in  the 
drinking  water  for  a  week,  and  bi- 
carbonate of  soda  for  a  second  week; 


increase  the  amount  of  green  fooc 
and  meat,  and  cut  in  half  the  amounl 
of  grain,  and  let  all  of  the  grain  be 
fed  in  the  scratching  pen  to  induce 
exercise. 

Rheumatism  in  the  Feet— I  have  a 
very  fine  Buff  Leghorn  rooster  and 
he  seems  to  have  rheumatism  in  his 
feet.  Do  you  know  any  cure? — Mrs. 
J.  M.  S.  , 

Answer — Rheumatism  many  result 
from  long  exposure  to  cold  and 
moisture;  it  may  be  produced  by  over- 
feeding of  meat;  induced  through  the 
under-feeding  of  vegetable  food  and 
is  helped  along  by  previous  rheumatic 
tendencies  of  ancestors. 

Treatment — Bathe  the  feet  and 
shanks  with  the  following:  One  cup- 
ful of  vinegar,  one  of  turpentine  and 
a  heaping  teaspoonful  of  saltpeter, 
mix  in  a  bottle  and  shake  well  before 
using.  For  internal  treatment  there 
is  no  better  remedy  than  iodide  of  po- 
tassium. This  is  given  in  the  drink- 
ing water,  fifteen  grains  of  iodide  of 
potassium  to  every  quart  of  water. 
Give  in  small  dishes  so  that  it  all  may 
be  used  while  fresh  and  thus  avoid 
waste  from  having  to  throw  away 
any,  because  it  is  mixed  with  dirt. 
Common  cooking  soda,  one  level  tea- 
spoon to  each  quart  of  water,  or  sali- 
cylic acid,  one  grain  a  day,  has  given 
good  results,  but  the  iodide  is  the 
best  and  most  satisfactory.  Give 
plenty  of  green  food. 


Roup,    Bronchitis,    Pneumonia — (F. 

M.  S.,  California) — Can  you  favor  me 
with  a  little  information  which  I  fail 
to  locate  in  your  valuable  book  and 
it  covers  the  ground  very  well.  On 
a  cold  and  windy  night  two  weeks 
ago  a  careless  boy  left  a  window  open 
in  a  house,  allowing  a  strong  draft  to 
blow  on  my  precious  four-months-old 
pullets.  Consequence,  about  half  of 
them  (586  all  told)  came  down  with 
bad  colds.  Some  developed  roupy 
catarrh,  others  eyes  swelled  close 
shut.  Sprayed  nostrils  with  glyco- 
thermoline  and  carbolic  acid.  No  good 
effect  noted.  Put  roup  cure  in  drink- 
ing water  and  dipped  head  in  same. 
Majority  are  improving.  There  is 
one  phase  of  disease  that  puzzles  me 
and  of  course  it  attacks  the  largest 
and  finest  pullets.  They  seem  to  have 
difficulty  in  getting  their  breath.  Act 


154 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


like  a  chick  with  the  gapes.  Open 
their  mouths  and  gasp  with  a  strained, 
worried  look  on  their  faces.  Live 
about  twelve  hours  and  die  choking 
to  death  in  one  last  convulsion.  These 
so  affected  have  not  so  much  odor  at 
nostrils  as  majority.  No  mucus  spots 
in  throat.  Throat  seems  to  be  full  of 
phlegm.  Don't  eat  at  all.  Spraying 
throat  with  glyco-thermoline  and  acid, 
and  painting  with  iodine  or  running 
feather  saturated  with  coal  oil  down 
wind  pipe  offers  no  relief  whatever. 
No  one  around  me  seems  to  know  of 
any  remedy.  If  you  can  diagnose  it 
and  suggest  a  remedy,  will  appreciate 
it  greatly,  as  I  hate  to  lose  chickens 
when  they  get  this  old,  and  I  put 
great  faith  in  your  suggestions. 

Answer — I  sympathize  most  sin- 
cerely with  you  in  your  trouble  from 
your  beautiful  pullets  taking  cold,  and 
wish  I  could  help  you.  I  think  you 
have  been  doing  all  that  was  possible. 
You  see,  hens  are  very  much  like  hu- 
man beings.  One  person  will  have 
neuralgia  from  a  draught,  while  an- 
other will  have  a  sore  throat,  and 
while  from  the  same  cause  one  may 
have  catarrh,  in  another  the  trouble 
will  be  bronchitis  or  even  pneumonia. 
Now,  I  think  with  your  pullets,  some 
of  them  have  catarrh,  others  swell 
heads,  and  with  others  the  catarrh 
has  gone  down  lower  into  the  bron- 
chial tubes  and  possibly  into  the  lungs 
themselves. 

Now  as  to  treatment.  If  I  remem- 
ber rightly,  the  roup  cure  you  are 
using  is  made  principally  of  perman- 
ganate of  potash  and  bluestone  (sul- 
phate of  copper).  Both  of  these  are 
excellent  germicides  and  by  killing 
the  germs  of  the  catarrh  or  roup,  they 
prevent  their  multiplying,  and  give 
nature  a  chance  to  recuperate.  I 
think,  though,  the  roup  cure  is  more 
effective  than  the  severer  medicines, 
such  as  turpentine  and  carbolic  acid, 
so  I  now  recommend  that  your  roup 
cure  be  given  in  the  drinking  water, 
at  the  same  time  dipping  the  head  in 
the  same.  Or  you  can  put  one  cupful 
of  kerosene  oil  into  two  parts  of  wa- 
ter. The  oil  will  float  on  top;  dip 
the  fowl's  head  slowly  under  this, 
holding  it  there  while  you  count  three. 
It  will  sneeze  and  cough  and  you 
must  wipe  off  the  mucus  with  a  rag 
and  burn  the  rag. 

With  some  of  the  fowls  the  catarrh 
will  go  deeper  and  for  these  I  think 


the  peroxide  of  hydrogen,  spraying 
the  throat  well,  is  the  best,  giving 
always  the  permanganate  of  potash 
and  bluestone  in  the  drinking  water. 

For  those  that  have  developed  bron- 
chitis or  where  you  think  the  bron- 
chitis may  be  just  commencing,  give 
aconite,  one  drop  in  a  teaspoonful 
of  milk,  twice  or  three  times  a  day. 
The  symptoms  you  describe  are  ex- 
actly those  of  bronchitis,  so  I  feel 
confident  in  recommending  the  aco- 
nite. Dr.  Woods  recommends  the 
"Aconite,  Bryonia  and  Spongis  mix- 
ture," but  I  have  not  tried  it.  The 
mixture  is  "ten  drops  of  the  tincture 
of  each  in  an  ounce  of  alcohol.  Use 
a  teaspoonful  of  this  in  a  quart  of 
drinking  water."  I  think  this  might 
be  very  useful,  especially  at  the  com- 
mencement of  a  cold  or  bronchitis. 
Dr.  Woods  says  that  two  doses  will 
often  effect  a  cure.  Or  you  can  get 
this  in  tablet  form  at  the  drug  store. 
The  tablet  (1-100  of  a  grain  in 
strength)  can  be  given  one  to  each 
bird  two  or  three  times  a  day  or 
twelve  tablets  in  each  pint  of  drinking 
water. 

I  have  found  a  teaspoonful  of  honey 
with  five  drops  of  eucalyptus  oil, 
twice  a  day,  to  be  an  excellent  cure. 
The  honey  is  very  soothing  and  is  also 
nourishing  and  sustaining.  Bronchitis 
is  a  very  debilitating  illness  and  the 
fowl  should  be  fed  only  liquid  nour- 
ishment, such  as  raw  egg  beaten  up 
with  half  the  amount  of  milk,  about 
two  teaspoonsful  every  two  or  three 
hours.  I  have  given  a  tablespoonful 
of  milk  or  milk  with  honey  mixed.  I 
have  a  small  "invalid  drinking  cup;" 
it  is  a  narrow  cup  with  a  spout  like  a 
tea  pot,  which  I  have  found  very  use- 
ful and  handy,  as  I  could  insert  the 
spout  a  little  ways  down  the  throat 
of  the  hen  and  none  of  the  liquid 
would  be  spilt.  A  child's  toy  teapot 
with  a  rather  long  spout  will  answer 
the  purpose,  but  an  invalid  drinking 
cup,  costing  ten  cents,  is  extremely 
useful  and  worth  many  times  its  price 
for  chickens.  You  can  use  a  dropping 
tube  also  for  administering  liquid 
medicine.  I  realize  that  with  the  large 
number  of  fowls  that  you  have  you 
want  an  easy  and  quick  way  of  doc- 
toring, and  the  only  way  is  the  drink- 
ing water. 

In  cases  of  cold  or  the  cold  going 
deeper  as  into  bronchitis,  or  pneumo- 
nia, fowls  need  very  easily  digested, 


CAUSE   AND   CURE   OF   SICKNESS 


155 


light  and  nourishing  food.  I  have 
found  nothing  better  than  bread  and 
milk.  To  this  can  be  added  a  little 
bran,  or  a  few  eggs  can  be  beaten  up 
with  the  milk  before  putting  in  the 
bread  if  you  think  necessary.  You 
did  perfectly  right  to  segregate  the 
fowls.  Colds  of  all  kinds,  even  pneu- 
monia, are  infectious. 

I  would  strongly  advise  you  to 
house  your  hens  in  open  front  houses. 
In  this  way  there  would  be  no 
draughts  from  windows  left  open. 
Open  front  houses  are  a  preventive  of 
both  bronchitis  and  pneumonia. 

I  have  found  that  the  pills  or  asa- 
foetida  and  quinine  which  I  recom- 
mend in  my  book,  if  give'n  at  the 
very  outbreak  of  a  cold,  frequently 
cure  with  one  dose;  also  the  mixture, 
No.  5.  This  is  Mr.  Hunter's  old  rem- 
edy and  has  been  found  successful 
by  hundreds  of  people. 


Roup — How  to  Cure  It — I  have 
over  a  hundred  hens,  all  breeds.  A 
good  many  of  them  are  sick;  I  have 
tried  everything,  but  to  date  I  have 
not  found  anything  to  do  them  good. 
A  yellow,  hard  substance  that  has  a 
very  bad  odor  forms  in  their  mouths 
and  eventually  in  their  windpipes  and 
they  drop  over  dead.  I  have  lost 
about  thirty  inside  of  one  month.  I 
feed  chopped  corn  and  wheat,  with 
plenty  of  P'ratt's  chicken  food.  Use 
Conkey's  Roup  Cure  and  bluestone. 
They  run  at  the  nose  and  their  eyes 
swell  shut;  others  look  fine,  combs 
red,  and  you  would  not  know  any- 
thing was  wrong  with  them  until  they 
fall  over  dead.  Can  you  tell  me  what 
is  the  matter  with  them  and  what  I 
am  to  do  with  them?  I  paid  $1.00  a 
piece  for  my  hens  and  it  is  hard  to 
see  them  all  die  and  not  know  what 
to  do  for  them. — Mrs.  R.  B. 

Answer — I  am  very  sorry  to  say 
that  it  is  diphtheritic  roup  that  your 
hens  have — very  like  diphtheria  in 
children. 

It  is  a  germ  disease.  At  first  the 
hens  take  a  little  cold  and  the  germ 
then  seems  to  take  root  and  the  yel- 
low leather-like  spots  commence  to 
grow  and  continue  until  they  choke 
the  fowls. 

The  first  thing  to  do  is  to  separate 
the  healthy  fowls  from  those  that  are 
sick  and  disinfect  the  premises  thor- 
oughly. Discover  if  possible  what  is 
giving  the  fowls  a  cold.^  The  usual 


causes  of  cold  are  a  draught  in  the 
sleeping  room,  a  narrow  draught 
that  strikes  on  the  fowls  as  they 
roost,  caused  by  a  crack  or  a  knot- 
hole, or  a  house  that  has  no  ventila- 
tion; too  much  crowding  at  night, 
which  makes  the  fowls  hot  and 
sweaty,  and  they  take  cold  when  they 
come  out  in  the  morning  fresh  air, 
or  roosting  outside  in  the  rain  and 
dew.  Lice  will  also  give  them  cold 
and  will  carry  infection  from  fowl  to 
fowl.  When  one  fowl  has  a  cold,  the 
others  are  very  likely  to  catch  it  from 
the  water,  from  the  food  or  from 
contact  in  sleeping  on  the  same  perch. 
I  explain  this  so  you  may  decide  for 
yourself  what  is  causing  the  trouble 
and  may  use  preventive  measures  and 
stop  their  taking  cold. 

Now  for  some  cures:  Last  August 
I  gave  eight  different  roup  cures.  I 
will  not  repeat  them  all  here,  but  will 
say  put  a  good  cure  into  the  water 
(I  will  try  to  send  you  one  by  mail). 
A  bit  of  bluestone  (sulphate  of  cop- 
per) as  large  as  a  navy  bean,  in  a 
quart  of  water,  is  an  excellent  rem- 
edy and  preventive.  Bluestone  is  a 
germ  killer  and  when  it  is  in  the 
water  it  will  kill  the  germs  that  float 
off  the  chicken's  nostrils,  and  that 
would  infect  another  fowl.  It  also 
kills  any  germs  that  it  may  reach 
in  the  sick  fowl's  nostril  and  so  dries 
up  the  cold  in  the  head.  Of  course, 
it  is  a  strong  astringent  poison  and 
should  not  be  given  in  stronger  doses 
than  I  have  indicated.  Also  keep 
those  pretty  bits  of  blue  out  of  reach 
of  the  baby.  Rub  the  heads  of  those 
that  have  watery  eyes  with  carbolized 
vaseline  and  put  a  little  into  the  nos- 
trils and  in  the  cleft  of  the  mouth. 

For  those  that  have  the  white  or 
yellow  spots,  spray  the  mouth  or 
swab  it  with  peroxide  of  hydrogen 
twice  a  day.  Use  it  half  and  half 
water.  The  peroxide  of  hydrogen 
kills  the  diphtheria  and  will  prevent 
its  developing.  There  is  a  possibility 
that  the  spots  may  be  canker  in  some 
cases  (those  that  are  apparently  not 
very  sick),  in  which  case  get  four 
grains  of  sulpho-carbolate  of  zinc,  dis- 
solve in  one  ounce  of  distilled  water 
and  paint  the  spots  lightly.  This 
will  kill  the  germ  of  canker.  It  is  not 
the  same  germ  as  the  diphtheria,  and 
the  two  medicines  cannot  be  mixed, 
as  they  may  be  said  to  neutralize  each 
other.  If  you  are  not  sure  which  dis- 


156 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


ease  it  is,  you  might  doctor  one  day 
with  peroxide  and  the  following  day 
with  the  zinc. 

Add  to  the  diet  of  the  fowls  onions 
chopped  finely,  with  a  teaspoonful  of 
cayenne  pepper  for  a  dozen  hens,  or  if 
you  can  get  then,  grind  up  chili  pep- 
pers and  give  a  tablespoonful  in  the 
food  or  mixed  with  bran. 


Scaley  Legs — Will  you  be  so  kind 
as  to  explain  what  kind  of  disease  my 
hens  have?  I  am  a  green  man  in  the 
poultry  business  and  bought  the  hens 
from  several  places,  with  the  inten- 
tion of  having  in  the  shortest  time  a 
sufficient  number  of  egg  producers. 
Among  the  purchased  birds  there 
were  about  sixty  with  scaley  legs.  I 
inclosed  them  in  a  separate  yard,  30  x 
40,  fed  them  abundantly,  and  every 
morning  they  were  urged  to  pass 
through  a  tray  with  coal  oil.  After 
ten  days  many  of  them  had  legs  clean 
from  scales,  but  some  became  weak 
and  droopy.  They  walk  with  difficulty 
and  keep  their  tails  down.  They  grow 
worse  every  day.  I  killed  two  of  them 
and  found  that  about  half  their  bodies 
were  covered  with  yellow  scales  like 
a  sort  of  bad  skin  which  you  can 
easily  tear  off.  Is  it  a  contagious  dis- 
ease, and  what  shall  I  do  with  the 
sick  birds?— F.  P. 

Answer — Poor  hens;  it  is  not  a  dis- 
ease. It  is  the  coal  oil  that  wets  their 
feathers  and  that  blisters  the  skin. 
Those  that  have  been  much  wetted  on 
the  feathers  with  the  oil  are  probably 
too  badly  burned  to  recover.  The 
others  will  get  well  in  time,  but  it 
will  greatly  delay  their  laying. 

Do  not  try  again  such  heroic  treat- 
ment. It  costs  you  too  much.  Next 
time  mix  one  spoonful  of  lard  with 
one  spoonful  of  coal  oil  and  one 
spoonful  of  powdered  sulphur;  rub 
the  legs  with  that  twice  a  week. 

Scaley  legs  come  from  the  scale 
mite  and  are  very  infectious. 


Swelled  Eyes — What  is  the  best 
cure  for  swelling  of  the  eyes  in  half- 
grown  chicks?  They  have  the  colony 
houses  and  are  fed  according  to  the 
method  advised,  but  they  seem  to 
catch  cold.  It  is  very  contagious  and 
seems  to  be  running  through  the 
flock.— J.  F.  S. 

Answer — Your  chickens  are   taking 


cold,  probably  from  a  draught  of  some 
kind  in  their  sleeping  quarters.  Find 
out  the  crack  or  hole  which  is  causing 
the  draught  and  stop  it  up.  Put  blue- 
stone  into  their  drinking  water — a 
piece  the  size  of  a  navy  bean  in  one 
quart  of  water.  Grease  their  heads 
with  carbolated  vaseline.  Separate 
the  sick  from  the  well,  for  it  is  very 
infectious.  Those  that  are  sick  should 
have  a  pill  of  quinine  for  three  nights 
in  succession — 1  grain. 


Swell  Shut  and  Water— Will  you 
kindly  tell  me  the  cause  of  sore  eyes? 
My  chickens'  eyes  swell  shut  and  wa- 
ter. I  also  have  turkeys;  their  eyes 
swell  underneath. — Mrs.  C.  J.  N. 

Answer — Your  chickens  and  tur- 
keys have  lice  and  are  taking  cold. 
They  are  taking  cold  from  either 
sleeping  in  a  draught  or  sleeping  in  a 
place  that  is  too  close  and  hot,  so 
they  take  cold  when  they  come  out 
in  the  morning.  Remedy  the  cause 
and  use  one  of  the  many  roup  cures, 
and  also  get  rid  of  the  lice.  Lice  go 
to  the  eyes  to  drink  and  so  spread  the 
disease. 


Swell  Head — My  chickens  are  dying 
off  awfully.  Many  of  them  are  good 
sized  pullets.  Their  heads  seem  to 
swell  and  they  go  blind  and  just  drop 
off.  Some  of  them  open  their  mouths 
and  stretch  and  act  as  though  some- 
thing was  choking  them,  but  I  cannot 
detect  anything.  They  had  mites,  but 
have  none  now.  We  have  a  good 
yard  for  them,  and  an  alfalfa  patch 
and  some  shade  trees.  I  feed  them 
well,  and  am  at  a  loss  to  understand. 
My  neighbors  on  either  side  of  us 
have  the  same  trouble. — Mrs.  F.  K. 

Answer — Your  chickens  have  what 
is  called  "swell-head"  and  roup.  They 
have  either  caught  it  from  taking 
cold  or  from  the  lice  which  they  used 
to  have,  or  by  infection  from  the 
neighbors.  I  think  probably  there  is 
a  draught  in  their  sleeping  quarters, 
from  a  crack  or  a  knot  hole  or  it 
may  be  wrong  ventilation.  Stop 
these  up  and  be  sure  the  chickens  do 
not  live  or  sleep  in  a  draught.  Rub 
their  head  with  carbolated  vaseline, 
and  give  each  of  those  affected  a 
quinine  pill  every  other  night  for  a 
week,  and  add  a  little  poultry  tonic 
to  their  food.  I  think  as  soon  as  you 
stop  whatever  may  be  the  cause  of 


CAUSE  AND   CURE   OF   SICKNESS 


157 


their  taking  cold  you  will  have  no 
further  trouble.  Be  sure  to  keep  the 
sick  fowls  away  from  the  balance  of 
the  flock. 

Something  in  the  Throat— It  would 
be  a  great  favor  to  me  if  you  would 
let  me  know  what  to  do  for  my  chick- 
ens. They  are  cross-breeds  and  run  on 
open  range,  where  there  is  plenty  of 
good  water  and  green  alfalfa  and  oth- 
er green  grass.  I  have  been  feeding 
them  clean  new  wheat,  all  they  would 
eat.  They  are  six  months  old,  but 
have  commenced  to  get  sick;  the  first 
was  taken  sick  a  week  ago;  acted  like 
it  had  something  caught  in  the  throat; 
opened  bill  and  made  a  noise,  but 
seems  to  be  well  now.  Another  com- 
menced last  night;  made  a  noise  all 
night  like  it  wanted  to  crow;  is  very 
sick,  comb  very  dark,  droops  the 
head  slightly,  eyes  shut,  no  watery 
appearance  and  no  lice  or  other  ver- 
min. I  have  examined  its  neck  and 
cannot  see  or  feel  anything  like  diph- 
theria" in  mouth  or  throat;  no  dis- 
charge from  nose;  crop  empty. — F.  P. 
C.,  Mexico. 

Answer — I  think  your  chicks  must 
have  got  and  eaten  some  seed  or 
burrs  with  beards  on  them,  and  this 
has  formed  an  abscess  low  down  in 
their  throat,  or  even  in  the  gizzard. 
Sometimes  they  stick  in  the  throat. 
After  a  time  they  will  get  dislodged 
and  pass  through  the  chick  without 
injury,  but  if  they  stick  in  the  giz- 
zard, blood  poisoning  comes  on,  the 
comb  turns  black  and  they  die.  When 
I  was  in  Oklahoma  the  tarantulas 
sometimes  bit  a  hen.  She  would  fall 
down  paralyzed  and  act  as  though  she 
were  dying.  I  gave  one  drop  of  acon- 
ite in  milk,  and  they  always  recovered 
under  this  treatment.  Do  you  think 
your  fowls  have  been  stung  by  centi- 
pedes, etc.? 

Toe  Eating — Can  you  tell  me  what 
causes  little  chicks  to  pick  at  each 
others  toes?  They  will  pick  at  one 
till  the  blood  comes,  then  so  many 
chase  it  that  it  dies.  Then  they  start 
on  another  and  sometimes  they  even 
eat  the  entrails  out.  I  bought  my 
chickens  when  they  were  a  week  old 
and  fed  them  according  to  your  direc- 
tions. I  first  fed  raw  meat  and 
cooked,  then  I  tacked  pieces  on  a 
board  to  keep  them  busy,  but  nothing 
seemed  to  stop  them,  and  I  took  the 


one  out  with  the  sore  toes.  I  gave 
lime  and  salts  and  charcoal.  I  hatched 
some  dark  colored  chicks  in  my  own 
incubator  and  with  them  I  have  not 
had  any  trouble  in  that  way.  I  trust 
that  you  can  help  me. — H.  L. 

Answer — It  is  usually  with  the 
white  or  light  colored  chicks  that  we 
have  this  trouble.  The  little  toes  are 
so  attractive  and  look  so  very  good 
to  eat  that  a  lively  chick  will  often  try 
to  taste  his  neighbor's  toe  and  it  tastes 
so  good  that  he  continues  the  per- 
formance and  soon  teaches  the  others. 
Dark  toes  are  not  so  attractive  look- 
ing, hence  their  immunity.  You  did 
quite  right'to  add  more  meat  and  even 
a  little  salt  pork  to  their  diet,  .but  the 
best  way  of  preventing  the  trouble  is 
to  give  the  chicks  chaff  at  least  an 
inch  deep  in  the  nursery  of  their 
brooder.  I  have  found  that  alfalfa 
hay  or  wheat  hay  cut  in  a  clover  cut- 
ter an  inch  in  length  make  very  good 
chaff  for  the  chicks.  I  scatter  the 
chick  feed  a  little  at  a  time,  three 
times  a  day  in  this,  and  the  chicks 
scratch  in  it  and  find  the  grains  and 
at  the  same  time  it  conceals  their  toes 
from  their  hungry  brothers.  In  this 
way  you  not  only  prevent  this  vice, 
but  you  make  the  chicks  scratch  many 
hours  a  day  and  that  broadens  their 
backs  and  develops  the  egg  organs 
and  strengthens  their  digestion,  keeps 
them  out  of  mischief,  healthy,  happy 
and  busy.  Try  this  plan  and  you  will 
be  surprised  to  find  what  extra  fine 
layers  you  will  have  next  year. 

Tuberculosis— A  year  ago  I  had  the 
nicest  Black  Minorca.s  that  anybody 
ever  laid  eyes  on,  but,  alas!  one  after 
the  other  I  had  to  kill.  First  they  get 
lame  on  one  foot,  then  their  combs 
get  very  dark,  almost  black  on  the 
points;  their  appetite  is  poor  and  they 
get  as  light  as  a  feather,  and  when  I 
cut  them  open  their  liver  almost  fills 
up  their  whole  insides,  and  the  whole 
liver  is  thoroughly  sprinkled  with  lit- 
tle white  kernels;  sometimes  as  big  as 
a  good  sized  head  of  a  pin,  sometimes 
as  large  as  five  cents,  and  I  attend  to 
them  so  good.  Now,  can  you  tell  me 
what  disease  it  is  and  how  to  prevent 
it  after  this?  I  feed  lots  of  green 
stuff,  milk,  meat,  wheat,  barley  and 
occasionally  a  mash  of  lots  of  carrots. 
—Mrs.  M.  R. 

Answer — I  am  sorry  to  say  your 
Minorcas  have  chicken  tuberculosis. 
You  gave  an  accurate  description  of 


158 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


the  disease,  and  I  am  very  sorry  to 
have  to  tell  you  that  there  is  no  cure 
for  it  when  once  it  has  commenced. 
You  may  be  able  to  prevent  the  young 
ones  catching  it  by  moving  them  on 
to  fresh  ground,  and  thoroughly  dis- 
infecting the  yards  and  coops. 


Vertigo — Being  an  interested  reader 
of  your  question  department,  I  take 
the  liberty  of  asking  you  about  my 
little  chicks.  They  have  a  queer  dis- 
ease that  I  never  saw  before.  They 
commence  to  hold  their  heads  to  one 
side,  keep  twisting  their  necks  until 
they  fall  down  and  roll  over  and  seem 
in  a  kind  of  fit,  and  then  jump  up; 
seem  better  for  a  while  and  then  go 
through  with  the  same  performance 
until  they  die.  They  peep  as  if  in 
pain.  I  have  lost  several.  I  feed  corn 
bread  and  sour  milk  curd  and  they 
run  in  the  orchard.  Do  you  know 
what  it  is  and  is  there  a  cure  for  it? 
They  have  no  vermin. — Mrs.  R.  B.  L. 

Answer — Your  chickens  have  verti- 
go. This  is  usually  caused  by  acute  in- 
digestion, from  wrong  feeding,  from 
sunstroke,  from  intestinal  worms, 
from  poison  or  from  lice.  Overcrowd- 
ing the  chicks  also  has  a  tendency  to 
bring  it  on.  I  have  known  of  several 
cases  similar  to  yours  from  the  chicks 
having  eaten  putrid  meat.  The  best 
treatment  is  a  little  Epsom  salts  in  the 
water,  about  a  teaspponful  to  a  pint  of 
water.  Give  this  as  their  drinking  wa- 
ter. Give  plenty  of  fresh  clean  water 
and  green  food.  If  you  think  it  is 
worms,  put  a  teaspoonful  of  turpen- 
tine in  a  quart  of  the  drinking  water 
or  mix  their  mash  with  it  and  give  it 
also  to  them  to  drink.  This  will  kill 
the  worms.  If  you  think  it  is  from 
poison,  give  each  chick  a  pill  of  asa- 
foetida,  about  a  two-grain  pill  or  even 
smaller  if  the  chickens  are  very  small. 


Tumor  and  Dropsy — I  had  a  White 
Leghorn  hen  die  a  week  ago  from  an 
ailment  which  puzzles  me.  Have  looked 
through  what  poultry  books  I  have, 
but  can  find  nothing  touching  it.  The 
hen  was  swollen  between  the  legs  to 
an  unusual  size  and  got  so  bad  it  could 
not  walk.  Finally  it  died,  and,  upon 
opening  it,  at  least  a  quart  of  water 
came  away.  The  intestines  were  joined 
together  in  one  solid  piece.  Can  you 
tell  me  the  cause  and  cure,  as  I  have 
a  Hamburg  hen  developing  the  same 


symptoms,  and  would  like  to  save  it  if 
possible?—;.  L.  W. 

Answer — Your  hen  died  of  dropsy, 
combined  with  a  tumor,  probably  ova- 
rian. There  is  no  known  cure  for  this, 
as  by  the  time  it  becomes  visible,  the 
disease  has  progressed  too  far,  and  is 
usually  only  discovered  after  death. 
Some  hens  seem  more  subject  to  this 
complaint  than  others,  and  I  would 
advise  you  to  get  in  fresh  blood  and 
keep  the  hens  healthy  by  feeding  an 
abundance  of  green  food.  The  cause 
is  obscure. 


Vent  Gleet — One  of  my  hens  and 
fine,  large  cockerel  have  a  sort  of 
diarrhoea  with  a  very  bad  smell  to  it. 
It  seems  to  scald  the  vent,  which  is 
red  and  swollen  and  there  are  scabs 
on  it.  Can  you  tell  me  the  cause  and 
cure  of  this?— Mrs.  J.  F.  Y. 

Answer — Your  hen  and  probably 
the  cockerel  also  have  vent  gleet.  This 
is  usually  caused  by  an  egg  being 
broken  inside  the.  hen,  which  causes 
inflammation.  It  is,  I  am  sorry  to 
say,  contagious,  and  the  birds  should 
be  at  once  isolated  and  treated.  Pre- 
pare a  warm  bath  of  water  as  hot  as 
can  be  borne  on  the  wrists,  in  which 
has  been  dissolved  a  tablespoonful  of 
bi-carbonate  of  soda,  to  two  quarts  of 
water.  Immerse  the  fowl's  abdomen 
and  vent  in  this  hot  water  and  hold 
the  bird  there  from  fifteen  to  twenty 
minutes.  Then  dry  the  parts  with  a 
clean  cloth  and  give  an  injection  of 
an  infusion  of  green  tea  with  five 
grains  each  of  sugar  of  lead  and  sul- 
phate of  zinc  to  each  ounce  of  the  in- 
fusion, two  tablespoonsful  being  one 
ounce.  The  sores  and  ulcers  around 
the  vent  should  be  kept  dusted  with 
iodoform  or  aristol.  Repeat  the  treat- 
ment once  a  day  until  the  bird  is 
cured.  A  dose  of  thirty  grains  of 
Epsom's  salts  will  help  cool  the  blood. 
Feed  lightly  and  give  plenty  of  green 
food.  If  not  well  after  two  or  three 
weeks,  kill  the  bird,  as  the  disease  is 
not  quite  free  from  danger,  for  if  the 
operator  should  touch  his  eyes  acci- 
dentally before  cleansing  his  hands, 
the  result  might  be  a  most  violent  in- 
flammation. 


White  Comb — My  fine  Orpington 
rooster  is  developing  a  peculiar  dis- 
ease. A  few  months  ago  he  was  in 
the  pink  of  perfection,  but  his  comb 
has  become  all  covered  with  white 


LICE,  MITES,  TICKS  AND  WORMS 


159 


spots,  as  though  he  had  dandruff,  and 
it  spoils  his  appearance.  I  feed  your 
well  proportioned  mash,  wheat,  alfal- 
fa, crushed  green  bone,  lettuce  and 
cabbage;  a  mash  every  morning  and 
corn  or  wheat  for  the  evening  meal. 
He  is  vigorous  and  active,  the  only 
trouble  being  with  his  comb.  If  you 
will  kindly  tell  me  how  to  treat  him 
for  this  trouble,  it  will  be  highly  ap- 
preciated.—E.  R.  T. 

Answer — Your  rooster  has  what  is 
called  "White  comb."  It  usually  comes 
from  close  air  in  the  hennery  and  a 
total  absence  of  all  green  food.  It  is  a 
contagious  disease  and  may  be  im- 
parted from  bird  to  bird,  probably 
also  from  mice,  rats,  cats  and  dogs  to 
birds.  Young  birds  appear  to  be  more 
susceptible  to  this  disease  than  old 
ones.  Put  carbolated  vaseline  on  the 
comb,  and  in  the  drinking  water  use 
twelve  tablets  of  nux  vomica  and  sul- 
phur comp.  2X  to  each  pint  of  drink- 
ing water.  Continue  the  treatment  un- 
til cured. 


Wind  in  Crop — Will  you  please  tell 
me  the  cause  and  remedy  of  my  lit- 
tle chicks,  from  three  to  four  weeks 
old,  having  a  gas  gather  in  their  crop? 


When  the  crop  is  pressed,  wind  comes 
from  the  mouth  and  they  stand 
around  and  gasp,  but  otherwise  do  not 
look  droopy.  They  eat  well,  but  in 
three  or  four  days  die.  I  lost  quite  a 
number  last  spring,  almost  every  case 
being  fatal.  I  have  a  hen  with  young 
ones  and  I  would  like  to  raise  them 
without  this  trouble — B.  C. 

Answer — The  wind  in  the  crop 
comes  from  indigestion.  Indigestion 
comes  from  lice,  colds,  dirty  water, 
and  chief  of  all  from  wet  mashes  or 
from  wrongly  balanced  food,  and  lack 
of  hard,  sharp  grit  to  grind  the  food. 
I  do  not  think  the  chicks  with  the  hen, 
if  she  is  allowed  free  range,  will  get  it, 
but  if  there  are  any  symptoms  of  it, 
put  some  lime  water  into  the  drinking 
water  and  give  them  pounded  up  char- 
coal. Give  them  also  sweet  skim  milk 
to  drink  as  well  as  water  and  plenty  of 
nice,  crisp  lettuce  to  eat.  I  am  sure  if 
you  keep  them  quite  clean,  feed  clean 
dry  chick  feed  with  plenty  of  green 
lettuce,  grass  or  clover,  cut  up  fine, 
you  will  not  have  any  wind  on  the 
stomach  with  your  chicks.  A  little  bi- 
carbonate of  soda  in  the  drinking  wa- 
ter will  sometimes  help,  but  preven- 
tion is  the  best  cure. 


LICE,  MITES,  TICKS  AND  WORMS 


Body  Lice— I  have  about  100  White 
Leghorn  chickens  and  I  find  that  they 
have  a  large  body  louse,  large  yellow 
ones;  what  can  I  do  to  get  rid  of 
them?  I  think  they  are  keeping  my 
chickens  from  laying  as  they  should. — 
Mrs.  B.  W. 

Answer — Paint  the  bottom  of  a  box 
or  barrel  with  a  good  lice  killer;  put  a 
little  straw  in  to  keep  the  paint  from 
the  feathers,  then  put  the  chickens  in 
and  cover  them  three  hours.  Then 
examine  the  hens  and  pull  out  all  the 
feathers  that  have  nits  (lice  eggs)  on 
them,  putting  the  feathers  into  a  little 
can  of  coal  oil.  Then  dust  the  hens 
with  a  good  insecticide  once  a  week  or 
until  you  are  sure  all  the  lice  are  dead. 
Be  careful  to  give  the  hens  a  spot  of 
ground,  well  spaded  up,  mellow  and  a 
little  damp.  They  will  bathe  in  this 
and  usually  keep  themselves  clean. 

Dipping  Hens — Would  you  be  so 
kind  as  to  let  me  know  about  dipping 


hens,  etc?  I  have  a  flock  of  some  five 
or  six  hundred.  I  notice  some  of  them 
have  lice  and  bunches  of  nits  on  their 
feathers.  Whenever  I  have  caught  a 
hen  I  have  greased  her  well,  but  this 
would  take  too  long  to  go  through  the 
bunch.  Is  there  any  dip  that  would  be 
strong  enough,  and  do  no  harm  to  the 
birds,  that  would  kill  the  nits  with  one 
dipping? — W.  L. 

Answer — Lice  are  supposed  to 
hatch  out  the  nits  every  five  days,  and 
when  but  a  few  days'  old  commence 
to  lay  again  and  so  keep  on  breeding 
indefinitely.  Dr.  Salmon  says  it  has 
been  estimated  that  the  second  gener- 
ation from  a  single  louse  may  number 
2500  individuals,  and  the  third  genera- 
tions may  reach  the  enormous  sum  of 
125,000,  and  all  of  these  may  be  pro- 
duced in  the  course  of  eight  weeks.  I 
do  not  know  of  any  dip  that  will  kill 
the  nits  with  one  dipping.  Dr.  Salmon 
recommends  a  dip  of  one  per  cent  car- 
bolic acid  solution,  or  using  creolin,  as 


160 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


it  is  equally  efficious  in  killing  insects 
and  is  less  poison  to  the  birds.  It  is 
used  in  the  strength  of  two  and  a  half 
mixed  with  a  gallon  of  water.  I  have 
used  very  successfully  in  the  summer 
time  when  the  weather  is  warm  the 
kerosene  emulsion  made  as  follows: 
Dissolve  one  bar  of  soap  or  one  pound 
of  soap  powder  in  a  gallon  of  boiling 
water;  add  to  it  a  gallon  of  coal  oil 
and  a  pint  of  crude  carbolic  acid; 
churn  for  twenty  minutes  or  until  you 
wish  to  use  it.  Take  one  quart  of  this 
top  solution  and  add  it  to  nine  quarts 
of  water.  Dip  the  hens  into  this,  be- 
ing careful  not  to  allow  any  of  it  to 
go  into  their  eyes  or  mouth,  but  thor- 
oughly wet  every  feather  to  the  skin. 
This  will  kill  every  living  louse  and  if 
repeated  in  about  five  days  will  prob- 
ably kill  those  that  are  hatched  out  in 
the  meantime  and  prevent  their  lay- 
ing any  more  nits.  Tobacco  water 
has  also  been  strongly  recommended 
as  a  dip,  and  chloro-naphtholium  used 
as  directed  on  the  bottle. 


The  Sand  Flea — How  can  I  rid  my 
chickens  from  a  small  insect  known 
here  as  the  sand  flea?  I  have  tried 
coal  oil  mixed  with  lard  without  effect. 
The  hens  scratch  their  heads  so  they 
become  sore  and  some  have  died;  oth- 
ers have  had  to  be  killed. — Mrs.  F. 
A.  F. 

Answer — Those  fleas  are  very  hard 
to  get  rid  of.  Spray  the  henneries 
well  with  either  the  kerosene  emul- 
sion or  good  hot  salt  water,  and  while 
the  ground  is  still  wet,  scatter  on  it 
air-slacked  lime.  Those  hens  that  have 
sore  heads  should  have  carbolated 
salve  put  on  them,  after  swabbing 
them  off  with  corrosive  sublimate. 
This  will  kill  the  fleas  and  cure  the 
sores.  Be  careful  not  to  let  any  of 
the  corrosive  sublimate  get  into  the 
eyes  or  mouth  of  the  fowls. 

Stick  Tight  Fleas— We  have  noticed 
a  tick  or  louse  on  a  few  of  our  chick- 
ens and  have  discovered  some  of  the 
insects  on  the  perches.  They  resem- 
ble small  black  beads  and  are  firmly 
imbedded  in  the  skin.  On  some  of  the 
fowls  we  have  used  for  the  table  we 
noticed  a  few  red  blotches  on  the  skin. 
We  would  like  to  know  how  to  get  rid 
of  the  insects,  particularly  how  to  get 
them  out  of  the  hen  house. — An  In- 
quirer. 


Answer — You  have  the  stick  tight 
fleas  in  your  hennery.  They  are  very 
hard  to  get  rid  of,  being  in  some 
places  a  perfect  pest.  A  friend  of 
mine  lost  500  out  of  700  chickens  last 
fall  from  this.  I  told  him  to  spray 
very  thoroughly  with  salt  and  water 
and  he  purchased  600  Ibs.  of  salt,  scat- 
tered it  all  over  the  hennery  and  yards 
and  then  turned  the  hose  on  them  for 
several  days  in  succession.  He  tells 
me  now  there  is  not  a  stick  tight  flea 
on  the  place.  I  advised  him  to  get 
some  corrosive  sublimate  diluted  with 
alcohol  at  the  drug  store,  take  an  old 
tooth  brush  and  carefully  apply  with 
it  the  corrosive  sublimate  on  any  fleas 
he  might  see  on  the  chickens,  being 
careful  not  to  allow  any  of  the  solu- 
tion to  get  into  the  chickens'  eyes  (it 
would  blind  them)  or  into  their 
mouths,  as  it  is  very  poisonous.  You 
can  paint  the  perches  with  this;  it  will 
kill  everything  it  touches. 


Head  Lice — This  time  I  write  in 
desperation,  hoping  you  may  be  able 
to  give  me  a'  remedy.  It  is  head  lice 
I  am  fighting,  and  after  working  for 
almost  five  months,  I  am  as  far  off 
from  being  rid  of  them  as  at  first.  I 
have  done  everything  that  I  have  ever 
heard  of.  I  still  find  they  have  head 
lice  and  red  mites  besides.  I  hope  no 
other  beginner  has  had  the  trials  I 
have  had.— Mrs.  W.  F.  K. 

Answer — The  red  mites  live  in  the 
houses  or  coops,  except  when  they  are 
feeding  off  the  chickens,  usually  at 
night.  The  cure  for  them  is  to  spray 
the  coops  thoroughly  and  constantly. 
You  can  keep  them  out  of  the  coops 
by  spraying  once  every  three  weeks, 
but  if  they  once  get  in,  you  will  have 
to  spray  twice  a  week  until  you  get 
entirely  rid  of  them,  then  once  every 
three  weeks,  to  keep  rid  of  them.  The 
head  lice  live  on  the  heads  of  the 
chickens.  They  lay  two  or  three 
white  silvery  nits  (eggs)  at  the  root 
of  the  feather.  The  eggs  hatch  in 
about  five  days  after  they  are  laid  by 
the  lice,  consequently  to  completely 
destroy  them,  you  should  treat  the 
chickens  that  have  them  at  least  once 
a  week.  The  best  way  I  know  of  is 
to  take  an  old  tooth  brush,  a  bowl 
with  nice  hot  soapsuds  in  it  and  a  few 
drops  of  the  best  carbolic  acid;  brush 
the  chicken's  head  with  this,  being 
sure  to  touch  all  the  lice  and  mites. 
This,  I  know,  is  an  excellent  remedy, 


LICE,  MitES,  TICKS  AN£>  WORMS 


161 


for  I  have  tried  it.  Another  given  by 
a  friend  of  mine  is,  get  the  druggist 
to  mix  some  corrosive  sublimate  with 
the  best  pure  alcohol,  take  the  tooth 
brush  and  brush  the  chickens'  heads 
with  this,  being  very  careful  not  to  let 
any  of  this  get  into  the  eyes  (or  it  will 
blind  them)  or  into  the  mouth,  as  it 
is  very  poisonous.  This  will  not  only 
kill  the  head  lice  and  their  nits,  but  it 
will  also  kill  stick  tight  fleas,  ticks  and 
any  insects.  It  is  very  difficult  when 
once  the  pests  get  into  henneries  or 
on  chickens  to  get  rid  of  them.  It  is 
far  easier  to  keep  the  enemy  out  by 
constant  and  thorough  cleaning  at  fre- 
quent intervals,  especially  in  the  sum- 
mer time.  I  find  using  tobacco  stems 
for  making  the  nests  of  setting  hens  a 
good  preventative;  besides  this,  I  see 
that  all  the  fowls  have  good  dust 
baths  in  damp  and  mellow  earth. 

Hump  Themselves — I  will  have  to 
come  to  you  with  my  sick  chickens. 
It  seems  to  be  chicken  raisers'  only 
refuge.  I  have  lost  several  half-grown 
and  whole-grown.  They  kind  of  hump 
themselves  all  together,  do  not  care  to 
eat;  do  not  stir  around.  I  never  no- 
ticed any  bowel  trouble;  it  looks  to 
me  like  their  heads  turned  dark;  live 
several  days.  What  shall  I  do? — 
L.  H.  E. 

Answer — It  is  very  difficult  to  diag- 
nose a  case  like  yours  with  so  little  in- 
formation about  it,  but  from  your  de- 
scription of  the  chickens  humping 
themselves  and  appearing  sleepy,  I 
think  they  have  worms.  You  should 
open  one  and  make  a  thorough  exam- 
ination; then  you  will  know  what 
really  is  the  matter.  If  it  is  worms, 
give  them  thirty  drops  of  turpentine 
in  a  pint  of  water.  Let  them  have  no 
other  water  to  drink  for  a  week,  and 
I  think  it  will  cure  them.  Possibly 
they  may  be  taking  cold  and  very 
probably  may  have  lice.  Examine 
them  and  dust  them,  and  try  to  dis- 
cover what  is  giving  them  cold.  Give 
them  a  little  poultry  tonic  and  follow 
my  directions  for  the  general  care  of 
fowls. 


ever.  He  uses  lime,  sulphur  and  car- 
bolic acid.  Is  there  any  way  corrosive 
sublimate  could  be  used  as  a  spray, 
and  would  it  be  safe  for  the  hens  in 
the  houses?  How  long  would  the  hens 
need  to  be  kept  out  after  the  spraying 
was  done?  Am  having  the  worst  pos- 
sible luck  with  my  chickens.  Have 
probably  hatched  550  chickens  this 
year  and  have  less  than  200  now. 
When  a  week  to  ten  days  old  they 
begin  to  droop,  refuse  to  eat  and 
starve  to  death.  What  is  the  matter? 
No  bowel  trouble;  no  cold;  no  lice,  or 
only  a  few.  Does  cholera  ever  attack 
such  young  chickens,  and  if  cholera, 
would  they  not  have  bowel  trouble? 
Would  greatly  appreciate  an  immedi- 
ate answer,  as  the  mites,  get  all  over 
me  and  drive  me  nearly  frantic — Per- 
plexed. 

Answer — The  thing  that  is  killing 
your  little  chickens  is  not  cholera, 
otherwise  they  would  have  bowel 
trouble;  it  is  only  the  swarms  of 
mites.  If  they  drive  you  nearly  fran- 
tic, think  how  the  chicks  must  suffer. 
The  mites  simply  drain  the  life  out 
of  them.  The  corrosive  sublimate  can 
be  put  on  with  a  spray,  but  it  is  dan- 
gerous to  do  so,  as  if  it  splatters  into 
the  person's  eyes  who  is  spraying,  it 
may  blind  him  for  life.  One  pound  of 
this  costs  $1.25  and  that  is  sufficient  to 
make  120  gallons  of  the  solution.  As 
it  takes  some  time  to  dissolve  in  wa- 
ter, it  is  usual  to  dissolve  it  in  alcohol. 
I  have  used  it  dissolved  in  alcohol  to 
paint  henneries  and  nest  boxes,  and 
it  will  destroy  all  insect  life.  You 
must  turn  the  hens  out  of  your  hen- 
neries for  several  hours,  or  until  the 
walls  are  dry. 


Mites — We  are  fighting  mites,  but 
apparently  with  no  success.  We  hired 
a  man  who  makes  poultry  ranch 
spraying  a  business.  We  paid  him  $10 
and  he  guaranteed  to  rid  the  place  of 
the  pests,  but  they  are  worse  than 


Flea  Powder— Mrs.  C.  B.  R,  Los 
Gatos — I  do  not  think  the  "flea  pow- 
der" you  mention  would  kill  the  little 
turkeys,  but  as  you  ask  what  I  use,  I 
will  tell  you.  It  is  here  called  "Buh- 
ach,"  and  can  be  bought  at  any  of  the 
poultry  supply  houses.  It  is  made 
from  the  "Pyrrethrum  "  daisy  and  is 
perfectly  harmless  to  all  fowls,  from 
tiny  canaries  to  mammoth  turkeys, 
but  deadly  to  insects.  It  contains  a 
small  quantity  of  an  essential  oil 
which  asphyxiates  all  insects,  fleas, 
ants,  lice.  etc.  It  must  be  kept  in 
an  air-tight  jar  or  tin  box,  as  the  es- 
sential oil  easily  evaporates.  Next  in 
value  come  the  insect  powders,  the 
foundation  of  which  is  tobacco  dust. 


162 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK: 


The  kind  of  lice  that  are  so  deadly 
to  little  turkeys  are  the  same  as  the 
head  lice  of  chickens.  They  are  to  be 
found  on  the  heads  and  necks  of  the 
turkeys,  and  also  on  the  large  feath- 
ers at  the  edge  of  the  wing.  They 
seem  to  sap  the  life  out  of  the  turkeys. 
I  always  rub  the  "Buhach"  powder 
well  into  the  down  on  the  head  and 
at  the  roots  of  the  wing  feathers, 
whether  they  have  signs  of  lice  or  not, 
for  it  is  better  to  be  sure  than  sorry. 


Ticks — In  trouble  again.  We  are 
renting  a  place  until  we  can  build  on 
our  own,  and  every  building  on  it  is 
simply  alive  with  little  brown  ticks; 
they  bury  themselves  in  the  heads  of 
the  chickens,  the  ears  of  the  dogs,  the 
feet  of  the  animals  and  all  over  our 
bodies.  What  shall  I  do?  Please  tell 
me  and  tell  me  quick.  A  neighbor 
says  lard  and  carbolic  acid  on  their 
heads  and  spray  with  distillate,  but 
neither  seems  to  do  any  good  so  far. 
I  am  out  of  the  chicken  business  since 
moving  here,  except  a  few  for  our 
own  use.  Yours  sincerely,  J.  J.  W. 

Answer — The  easiest  way  to  get  rid 
of  them  is  to  pour  coal  oil  over  the 
buildings  and  then  set  fire  to  them, 
but  as  you  are  in  a  rented  place,  that 
would  scarcely  be  possible.  The  next 
best  plan  is  to  paint  the  place  thor- 
oughly with  corrosive  sublimate;  it  is 
what  I  recommended  to  you  for  the 
plague  of  mites  at  your  other  place. 
Ticks  are  one  of  the  worst  plagues  in 
Southern  California.  They  are  so  thin 
and  flat  that  they  hide  between  the 
shingles  and  boards.  They  really  are 
no  thicker  than  a  bit  of  paper,  and 
nothing  kills  them  but  the  corrosive 
sublimate  (bi-chloride  of  mercury). 
This  can  either  be  put  on  with  a  brush 
or  be  sprayed  on  the  houses.  You 
remember  that  it  is  very  poisonous 
and  great  care  must  be  used  in  hand- 
ling it.  When  once  your  coops  are 
free  of  ticks,  or  other  vermin,  you  can 
keep  them  so  by  spraying  with  kero- 
sine  emulsion  that  I  have  so  often 
given.  Distillate,  liquid  lice  killer, 
coal  tar  and  other  preparations  of  car- 
bolic acid  or  creosote  are  all  good  to 
keep  out  vermin,  but  I  know  they 
will  not  drive  out  ticks. 


Depluming  Mites — Two  years  ago  I 
started  to  raise  White  Leghorns,  com- 
mencing with  two  cocks  and  twelve 
pullets  of  as  good  strain  as  I  could 


secure  at  the  time.  This  spring  I  had 
a  splendid  looking  flock  of  100  females 
and  twelve  males.  They  were  beau- 
ties, but  recently  developed  the  feath- 
er pulling  habit  and  are  now  a  sight. 
Never  in  moulting  time  have  I  seen 
poultry  look  worse.  Many  of  the  hens 
look  as  though  plucked  for  market, 
and  not  one  of  the  roosters  has  a  ves- 
tige of  tail.  The  hens  still  keep  up 
laying  as  well  as  before  (from  fifty  to 
sixty-five  daily),  but  I  cannot  believe 
this  will  hold  out  in  their  present  con- 
dition. 

I  have  them  on  a  two-acre  range 
and  feed  them  cut  green  bone  in  large 
quantities  four  times  a  week  in  addi- 
tion to  all  the  other  grains  obtainable. 
My  experience  can  only  suggest  two 
causes  for  such  a  state  of  affairs:! — 
Insufficient  animal  food.  2 — Close 
confinement.  But  neither  of  these 
causes  enter  into  the  present  state  of 
affairs.  Can  you  advance  a  reason  and 
suggest  a  remedy.  By  so  doing  you 
will  greatly  oblige  one  who  is  getting 
interested  in  raising  fine  looking  birds. 
— F.  S.  S.,  Tucson,  Ariz. 

Answer — Your  birds  have  what  is 
called  ''Depluming  mites."  The  prin- 
cipal symptom  of  this  trouble  is  a  loss 
of  feathers  from  spots  of  various  sizes, 
situated  on  different  parts  of  the  body. 
The  feathers  break  off  at  the  surface 
of  the  skin,  and  at  the  root  of  the 
feather  is  seen  a  small  mass  of  epi- 
dermic scales  which  is  easily  crushed 
into  powder.  A  microscopic  examina- 
tion of  this  powder  reveals  numerous 
mites  and  the  debris  which  they  pro- 
duce. 

The  disease  appears  in  poultry 
yards  as  a  consequence  of  the  intro- 
duction of  one  or  more  birds  already 
affected.  It  is  readily  communicated, 
develops  rapidly  and  in  a  few  days  a 
whole  flock  is  contaminated.  It  us- 
ually begins  on  the  rump  and  spreads 
rapidly  to  the  back,  the  thighs  and  the 
belly.  An  infested  cock  will  rapidly 
infest  all  the  fowls  in  a  poultry  yard. 
Often  the  head  and  the  upper  surface 
of  the  neck  are  affected  early  in  the 
course  of  the  disease.  The  feathers 
fall  off  at  all  these  points  and  finally 
the  skin  is  denuded  over  a  large  ex- 
tent of  surface.  The  large  feathers  of 
the  tail  and  wings  and  the  wing  cov- 
erts are  generally  retained. 

The  denuded  skin  presents  a  normal 
appearance;  it  is  smooth  and  soft,  of  a 
pinkish  color  and  not  perceptibly 


LICE,  MITES,  TICKS  AND  WORMS 


163 


thickened.  By  pulling  out  the  feath- 
ers which  remain  near  the  invaded 
parts,  it  is  easy  to  find,  with  fowls,  a 
mass  of  epidermic  scales  at  the  end 
of  the  quill,  which  contains  a  number 
of  parasites.  The  general  health  of 
the  birds  is  apparently  not  disturbed. 
They  remain  in  good  flesh  and  con- 
tinue to  lay  as  though  they  were  not 
affected.  It  seems  probable  that  much 
of  the  irregular  moulting,  feather 
pulling  and  feather  eating  are  due  to 
the  irritation  caused  by  the  Sacroptes 
Laevis. 

The  treatment  for  this  is  not  very 
difficult,  but  must  be  persisted  in  until 
a  cure  is  effected.  Carbolic  salve 
should  be  rubbed  over  the  affected 
portions  of  the  skin  and  the  adjacent 
parts,  or  a  salve  may  be  made  by  mix- 
ing one  part  of  carbolic  salve,  one  part 
of  flour  of  sulphur,  one  part  of  pow- 
dered aloes  with  ten  parts  of  lard  or 
vaseline. 

A  large  surface  of  the  body  should 
not  be  covered  with  strong-  carbolic 
acid  preparations,  on  account  of  the 
danger  of  absorption  and  poisoning. 
The  affected  parts  of  the  body  may 
be  rubbed  every  fourth  day  until  a 
cure  is  affected.  It  is  well  to  finish 
the  treatment  by  dipping  the  birds  in 
a  two  per  cent  creoline  bath  and  to 
whitewash  the  houses  with  carbolated 
whitewash.  This  will  kill  any  mites 
which  may  be  left  in  the  feathers  or 
about  the  roosts. 


From  Wild  Birds — Some  years  ago 
my  fowls  became  afflicted  with  a 
round  worm,  also  tape  worms,  and  in 
one  article  you  mentioned  several 
remedies,  such  as  santoine,  turpen- 
tine and  tincture  of  male  fern.  I  dug 
up  the  yards  and  seeded  to  green  feed 
but  all  to  no  purpose;  it  has  prac- 
tically driven  me  out  of  business.  Last 
spring  I  invested  in  some  outside 
stock  (just  hatched  baby  chicks),  but 
they  also  became  infested,  although 
they  were  on  new  land.  However,  I 
managed  to  keep  down  those  pests 
by  occasionally  dosing  the  hens  with 
the  above  mentioned  medicines.  We 
do  not  feed  anything  unclean  to  our 
fowls  and  it  always  has  been  a  puzzle 
to  me  where  such  worms  came  from. 

A  few  days  ago  our  house  cat 
brought  home  a  small  bird,  which  she 
began  to  devour  on  the  house  porch, 
but  leaving  the  intestines,  out  of 
which  crawled  two  good  sized  round 


worms  such  as  fowls  have.  As  we 
live  in  the  woods,  do  you  think  this 
has  anything  to  do  with  it?  I  am  al- 
most afraid  to  |tart  my  incubators 
this  season,  as  it  may  only  result  in 
future  failure. — W.  E.  B. 

Answer — Your  fowls  undoubtedly 
get  the  worms  as  the  wild  birds  do, 
from  the  droppings  or  eggs  of  worms 
from  the  other  birds.  By  the  persist- 
ent use  of  turpentine,  using  thirty 
drops  in  a  quart  of  water,  or  mixing 
it  in  that  proportion  in  the  food,  for 
a  week  at  a  time,  you  can  get  rid  of 
them.  Also  disinfect  the  ground. 
The  only  thing  that  I  can  see  is  for 
you  to  keep  up  this  treatment,  for 
a  week  every  two  months,  giving  tur- 
pentine either  in  the  food  or  water. 
I  would  not  be  discouraged  because 
that  is  a  sure  remedy  and  by  watch- 
ing and  noticing  the  droppings,  you 
need  not  fail  in  rearing  the  chickens. 


From  Pigeons — My  chickens'  giz- 
zards are  affected  by  red  worms  about 
the  size  of  a  pin.  All  the  stock  I 
raised  last  year  seemed  affected,  al- 
though the  eggs  came  from  different 
places.  I  have  the  Brown  Leghorns, 
Brahmas  and  R.  I.  Reds.  I  feed  all 
the  various  grains,  plenty  of  greens 
and  good  meat  and  bone.  The  only 
thing  you  recommend  that  I  have  not 
fed  is  charcoal,  still  as  chicks  they 
got  it  in  the  chick  feed.  I  have  given 
them  turpentine  in  food  and  water  at 
various  times  and  it  seemed  to.  have 
the  desired  result,  but  today  I  learned 
different,  the  gizzard  is  penetrated 
and  has  a  sore  spot  caused  by  these 
worms.  All  the  stock  in  different 
yards  are  affected. 

I  get  plenty  of  eggs  and  the  chick- 
ens look  good,  combs  nice  and  red, 
nevertheless  I  find  them  all  affected 
the  same  way. — Mrs.  G.  S.  L. 

Answer — I  have  been  through  the 
same  trouble  myself  and  so  can  help 
you.  The  difficulty  is  to  find  the 
source.  I  found  out  that  my  chickens 
were  getting  the  worms  or  the  eggs 
of  the  worms  from  neighboring  pig- 
eons. The  droppings  of  the  pigeons 
contained  the  eggs  of  the  worms  and 
in  a  short  time  the  droppings  of  the 
chickens  also  had  them  and  the  other 
chickens  ate  them  and  so  on  they 
kept  increasing.  First  of  all  I  gave 
the  chickens  the  turpentine  which  I 
recommended  to  you.  A  teaspoonful 


164 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


in  a  quart  of  water.  Mix  the  food 
with  that  water,  also  put  a  teaspoon- 
ful  in  a  quart  of  the  drinking  water 
and  allow  no  other  water  for  drink- 
ing. Keep  this  treatment  up  for  a 
week.  Meanwhile  clean  up  the  yards 
by  having  them  either  ploughed  un- 
der or  dug  up  and  a  crop  of  some 
kind  planted,  something  that  will 
grow  quickly,  such  as  wheat  or  bar- 
ley, and  as  far  as  possible  destroy 
the  birds  that  are  bringing  you  the 
trouble,  for  I  cannot  but  think  it  must 
be  pigeons  or  some  other  wild  birds. 
The  worms  will  kill  the  young  chick- 
ens, but  they  do  not  always  kill  the 
older  fowls.  Sometimes  the  worms 
come  from  unclean  or  spoiled  food, 
from  "webby"  grains  and  bad  animal 
food.  You  will  have  to  discover  for 
yourself  where  they  are  getting  the 
worms  from  and  cut  off  the  source  of 
supply. 


Intestinal  Worms — I  wish  a  little 
information  and  advice  in  regard  to 
a  valuable  Buff  Orpington  cockerel  I 
own.  He  has  become  mopy  and  goes 
away  under  the  trees  by  himself,  and 
has  lost  over  half  of  his  weight  in  a 
month.  He  eats  like  a  horse,  though, 
of  everything,  I  give  my  hens,  but 
shakes  his  head  an  awful  lot,  as 
though  something  was  wrong.  I 
looked  in  his  throat  and  it  looks  all 
right.  He  has  changed  in  color  from 
a  light  buff  to  a  very  dark  red  since 
acting  unwell,  and  has  grown  to  be  a 
homely,  dopey  bird,  from  a  real  beau- 
tiful lively  one  a  short  time  ago. — 
M.  J.  Q. 

Answer — I  think  your  Buff  Orping- 
ton cockerel  has  intestinal  worms. 
You  had  better  give  him  25  drops  of 
spirits  of  turpentine  on  a  lump  of 
bread,  or  in  a  spoonful  of  water,  and 
follow  that  immediately  with  two  tea- 
spoonfuls  of  castor  oil.  Keep  him 
shut  up  so  you  can  watch  the  drop- 
pings and  remove  and  burn  or  bury 
them  deeply.  If  you  do  not  find 
worms  in  his  droppings,  give  him  ten 
drops  of  tincture  of  male-fern  on  a 
lump  of  sugar,  followed  in  an  hour 
by  a  dose  of  castor  oil.  This  is  for 
tape  worms.  Both  the  remedies 
should  be  given  after  twelve  hours  or 
more  fasting. 


noticed  what  look  like  worms.  She 
is  thin  and  looks  like  she  has  catarrh. 
Can  you  help  her?  Also  a  Plymouth 
Rock  rooster  who  has  a  film  over  his 
eyes  and  sleeps  all  day,  begins  to  take 
exercise  about  sun  down;  appetite 
fair.  I  feed  every  variety  of  chicken 
food  alternating,  and  keep  shells, 
charcoal  and  green  food,  and  they  are 
not  fenced  in. — J.  L. 

Answer — Your  little  bantam  hen 
undoubtedly  has  worms,  as  you  see 
them  in  her  droppings.  Your  Ply- 
mouth Rock  male  bird  also  has  them, 
for  sleepiness  is  one  of  the  chief 
symptoms  of  worms  in  the  intestines. 
The  best  cure  I  know  is  turpentine; 
ten  drops  in  a  teaspoonful  of  castor 
oil,  after  the  chickens  have  fasted 
twenty-four  hours. 

If  you  have  other  chickens,  and 
think  they  may  have  worms,  you  had 
better  give  the  whole  flock  some  tur- 
pentine in  their  drinking  water. 
Thirty  drops  of  turpentine  to  a  pint  of 
water.  Do  not  let  them  have  any 
water  without  turpentine  in  it  for  a 
week. 


Bantam    Affected — I    have    a    little 
hen,    bantam,    in    whose    droppings    I 


Several  Kinds — I  am  in  despair  and 
it  is  lice,  lice,  lice.  We  have  Brown 
Leghorns,  and  as  they  will  not  sit,  we 
borrowed  a  setting  hen  and  she  only 
stayed  with  us  long  enough  to  give 
our  hens  a  supply  of  grey  head-lice. 
When  we  discovered  them  we  went 
to  work  with  a  lice  killer,  sprayed  the 
coops,  ground  and  nests,  put  the 
chickens  in  a  box  and  left  them  three 
hours.  We  also  used  crude  oil, 
poured  gallons  on  the  ground,  painted 
nests,  roosts,  etc.,  but  still  the  lice 
stayed  on  the  hens'  heads.  Last 
week  we  bought  six  Buff  Orpingtons; 
yesterday  we  found  they  were  alive 
with  body  lice,  yellow  lice,  especially 
around  the  vent;  there  were  thou- 
sands; then  we  examined  the  Leg- 
horns, found  they  were  infected  also. 
What  shall  we  do?  Do  you  think  it 
would  hurt  them  to  wash  them  now 
with  the  kerosene  emulsion?  Am 
afraid  it  might  give  them  a  cold. — 
Mrs.  C.  S.  B. 

Answer — What  I  should  do  were  I 
in  your  place  would  be  to  get  some 
Buhach  powder,  rub  it  well  into  the 
chickens'  heads  for  the  head  lice,  and 
well  into  the  fluff  under  the  wings  and 
on  the  backs  for  the  body  lice,  then 
put  the  hens,  six  or  a  dozen  at  a  time, 


LICE,  MITES,  TICKS  AND  WORMS 


165 


into  a  large  size  dry-goods  box,  at 
the  bottom  of  which  is  a  newspaper 
thoroughly  painted  with  a  good  lice 
killer;  cover  the  top  of  the  box  with 
a  carpet  and  leave  them  in  for  three 
hours,  then  look  them  over  thorough- 
ly and  pull  out  every  feather  that  has 
nits  on  it.  The  nits  hatch  out  about 
every  five  days,  so  in  a  week's  time 
look  the  hens  over  again,  powder 
them  again,  and  again  put  them  into 
the  box  painted  with  the  lice  killer. 
Two  applications  should  cure  them. 
After  this,  once  a  month,  at  Anight, 
powder  them  with  bubach  and  look 
them  over  occasionally,  and  if  neces- 
sary, go  through  the  performance 
again.  You  can  paint  the  roosts  with 
lice  killer,  but  do  not  put  any  in  the 
nests,  for  it  will  not  only  flavor  the 
eggs,  but  will  kill  the  germs  and  make 
the  eggs  unhatchable.  The  best  thing 
to  use  for  the  nests  is  a  kettleful  of 
boiling  water  with  a  large  handful  of 
salt  added  to  it,  or  scalding  soap- 
suds, putting  in  fresh  straw,  or  better 
still,  making  the  nests  of  tobacco 
stems.  You  can  get  these  for  25  cents 
a  gunny  sack  full. 


Spray  for  Houses  and  Dip  for  Hens 

• — Last  summer  I  found  a  recipe  in  one 
of  your  articles  for  spraying  hen 
houses.  I  used  it  to  good  advantage, 
but  have  misplaced  the  recipe  and 
cannot  remember  the  mixture  exact- 


ly. It  was  composed  of  coal  oil,  car- 
bolic acid  and  soap,  with  a  certain 
proportion  of  water.  If  you  will 
kindly  send  it  to  me,  I  will  appreciate 
it. — C.  W. 

_  Answer — I  gladly  send  you  the  re- 
cipe, which  is  excellent.  I  have  used 
it  for  ten  years  or  more.  It  will  kill 
fleas,  lice,  mites  or  any  insect  pests  in 
the  henneries.  It  will  also  thorough- 
ly disinfect  the  premises  from  infec- 
tious diseases  and  if  used  for  a  dip 
for  hens  in  warm,  sunny  weather,  will 
rid  them  of  lice  and  will  assist  the 
moult: 

Dissolve  one  pound  of  hard  soap 
(or  soap  powder)  in  one  gallon  of 
boiling  water,  remove  from  the  fire 
and  add  immediately  one  gallon  of 
kerosene  and  one  pint  of  crude  car- 
bolic acid.  Churn  or  agitate  violent- 
ly for  twenty  minutes  or  until  you 
want  to  use  it.  If  the  oil  and  water 
separate  on  standing,  then  the  soap 
was  not  caustic  enough.  Add  to  this 
ten  gallons  of  water. 

I  keep  the  stock  solution  on.  hand, 
dip  out  a  quart  and  add  to  it  ten 
quarts  of  water  and  use  it  for  spray- 
ing the  houses  once  every  three  weeks 
in  summer  and  every  month  in  win- 
ter. Putting  it  on  hot  in  summer  and 
slopping  it  well  into  dark  and  dusty 
corners  will  kill  fleas,  which  are  ex- 
ceedingly troublesome  on  sandy  soil 
in  this  part  of  the  country. 


FEEDING  IN  GENERAL 


Feeding  System — I  am  not  perfectly 
satisfied  with  my  feeding  system  and  I 
follow  yours  on  the  food  question.  I 
note  that  you  advise  dried  blood  and 
other  food  dried  in  the  oven,  green  cut 
bone  and  bone  meal.  Would  you  ad- 
vise boiled  liver,  lungs  and  scraps  in- 
stead of  prepared  meat  scraps?  Are 
ground  clam  shells  good  in  place  of 
cut  bone?  Could  there  be  any  danger 
from  feeding  too  much  ground  shell? 
Should  gravel  be  furnished  to  chick- 
ens to  pick  from? — D.  F. 

Answer — Boiled  liver  and  lungs 
chopped  fine  are  excellent  for  fowls. 
I  prefer  them  to  prepared  meat  scraps. 
They  must  be  fed  while  fresh,  as 
spoiled  meat  may  poison  the  fowls. 
Clam  shells  cannot  take  the  place  of 
cut  bone.  Crushed  oyster  and  clam 
shells  contain  lime,  which  is  very  good 


for  making  egg  shell.  There  is  no 
danger  of  the  hens  eating  too  much  of 
this.  Gravel  or  grit  should  always  be 
furnished  to  chickens. 


Animal  Food  for  Fowls — Kindly  in- 
form me  as  to  the  difference,  if  any, 
between  beef  scraps,  beef  meal,  meat 
meal  and  blood  meal.  Which  is  con- 
sidered the  best  to  feed  laying  hens 
and  growing  chickens?  I  have  fed 
beef  scraps  for  nearly  a  year  and  had 
good  results  from  it;  at  least  I  think 
I  have.  If  .some  of  the  others  are 
better,  I  would  like  to  know  what  one 
it  is.— G.  K.  W. 

Answer — Beef  scraps,  beef  meal  and 
meat  meal  are  the  same,  only  the  lat- 
ter is  ground  finer  than  the  former. 
Blood  meal  is  made  from  the  blood, 


166 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


cooked,  dried  and  ground.  Pure  dried 
blood  contains  more  protein  than  the 
others,  therefore  is  considered  better 
in  most  cases.  The  beef  scraps  and 
beef  meal  are  the  refuse  of  the  slaugh- 
terhouses, heads,  lights,  etc.,  boiled 
down  or  cooked  with  steam,  pressed, 
dried  and  ground,  and  are  frequently 
called  tankage. 

If  you  have  a  good  brand,  keep  to  it, 
because  some  are  no  good,  and  if  al- 
lowed to  become  damp  or  heated  are 
injurious  to  the  chickens. 


Bad  Meat — I  had  twelve  laying 
hens,  they  averaged  seven  eggs  a  day, 
were  healthy  and  never  were  sick  un- 
til I  bought  five  cents'  worth  of  green 
ground  bone  from  a  wagon  that  passes 
my  door.  It  was  wet  and  slimy,  and 
smelled,  but  he  said  it  was  all  right.  I 
gave  it  to  the  chickens  at  noon;  fed 
them  nothing  else  then.  At  four 
o'clock  I  went  out  and  found  two  dy- 
ing and  six  more  droopy  and  by  eight 
that  night  had  lost  eight.  Next  day 
two  large  Buff  Orpington  hens  died. 
I  looked  for  some  of  your  remedies 
giving  asafoetida  pills  and  the  soda 
you  spoke  of  in  the  water.  I  showed 
the  bones  to  the  butcher,  and  he  said 
he  never  heard  of  such  a  thing  as 
spoiled  meat  poisoning  chickens.  He 
sold  it  when  it  smelled  like  that  all 
the  time. — Mrs.  D.  M. 

Answer — That  meat  poisoned  your 
chickens  evidently.  It  is  called  pto- 
maine poisoning.  Butchers  sometimes 
put  formaline  or  some  preservative  on 
the  meat,  which  has  a  very  poisonous 
effect  on  chickens,  but  yours  were  un- 
doubtedly poisoned  by  the  putrid 
meat.  You  had  better  not  buy  any 
ground  bone  unless  it  is  quite  fresh. 


Blood  Meal — Will  you  please  tell 
me  how  much  blood  meal  to  put  into 
the  mash  for  thirteen  chickens,  or  in 
other  words,  what  proportion  for  each 
hen?— L.  S. 

Answer — Half  an  ounce  per  hen  ev- 
ery day  at  this  spring  season  of  the 
year  is  about  what  they  need  of  blood 
meal  mixed  in  the  mash.  Weigh  out 
enough  for  the  thirteen  hens  and 
measure  that  in  a  cup  or  by  a  spoon, 
then  you  will  know  how  much  by 
measure. 


ducks?  Also  for  fowls  and  turkeys? 
Are  they  as  nourishing  as  alfalfa? 
My  hens  are  1iot  laying  well.  The 
eggs  have  suddenly  dropped  off,  and 
I  did  not  know  but  what  the  cause 
might  be  beet  tops. — J.  S.  Y. 

Answer — In  September  one  is  glad 
to  get  anything  green  for  the  fowls, 
ducks,  geese  or  turkeys,  to  eat.  Al- 
most anything  green  is  better  than 
nothing,"  but  alfalfa  contains  more 
protein  than  any  other  green  food 
except  white  clover.  The  per  cent 
of  protein  in  white  clover  is  15.7,  and 
in  alfalfa  14.30,  while  in  beet  tops  it 
is  only  1.3.  By  this  you  will  see  that 
alfalfa  is  worth  about  14  times  as 
much  as  beet  tops.  There  is  about  as 
much  protein  in  alfalfa  as  in  wheat 
bran.  You  complain  that  your  hens 
do  not  lay.  I  think  probably  they 
are  moulting.  You  cannot  expect 
hens  to  lay  all  the  time  without  tak- 
ing a  rest. 

Dry  Hopper  Method — I  write  you 
regarding  the  dry  hopper  method  of 
feeding.  How  much  space  do  you 
leave  at  the  bottom  for  the  feed  to 
come  through,  and  how  wide  do  you 
leave  the  space  for  the  chickens  to 
eat  out  of?  We  made  one,  but  it  is  not 
a  success,  for  the  box  is  bloody  from 
their  combs  hitting  against  it.  They 
stand  and  eat  all  the  time  and  do  not 
go  and  drink  as  you  say  yours  do. — 
D.  S.  M. 

Answer — I  had  the  same  experience 
with  hoppers  injuring  the  combs  of 
the  fowls,  and  now  I  make  my  hop- 
pers like  those  used  at  the  Maine 
Experiment  Station,  simply  a  box 
with  a  roof  over  it.  The  box  is  twen- 
ty-four inches  long  and  eleven  inches 
wide.  The  sides  are  cut  like  a  gable, 
the  highest  point  being  sixteen  inches 
high.  The  gable  roof  keeps  the  food 
dry  and  the  hens  waste  scarcely  any 
of  it.  The  roof  lifts  off  cr  c:m  be  slid 
back  to  fill  it. 


Beet  Tops — Will  you  kindly  tell  me 
if  beet  tops  are  a  good  green  food  for 


Dry  Mash — Will  you  kindly  inform 
me  as  to  the  best  method  of  feeding 
calfalfa  meal  to  hens  and  pullets?  I 
use  hopper  constantly  filled  with  dry 
mash  consisting  of  bran,  shorts,  feed 
meal  and  beef  scraps,  accessible  at 
all  times,  and  would  much  prefer  add- 
ing the  calfalfa  to  this.  Or  would 
you  advise  soaking  it  in  water  and 
feeding  it  separately?  The  fowls  get 
grain  twice  a  day  and  now  if  I  add 


FEEDING  IN  GENERAL 


167 


the  calfalfa  to  the  mash  what  propor- 
tion shall  I  make  it?  Also,  is  it  as 
well  to  add  the  charcoal,  two  or  three 
per  cent,  to  the  mash  or  feed  separ- 
ately? I  wish  to  simplify  the  routine 
work  as  much  as  possible. — Mrs.  O.  K. 

Answer— I  advocate  adding  the  cal- 
falfa meal  to  the  dry  mash.  It  would 
make  a  very  good  ration  to  simply 
add  one  part  of  calfalfa  meal  to  your 
present  mash,  making  it  One  part 
each  of  bran,  shorts,  feed  mea4,  beef 
scraps  and  calfalfa  meal.  I  feed  this 
with  excellent  results,  but  at  first  the 
hens  did  not  like  the  calfalfa,  so  I 
only  added  one  iron  spoonful,  in- 
creasing the  dose  every  day,  adding 
one  more  spoonful  until,  within  a 
month,  they  were  having  the  right 
proportion.  You  can  mix  the  char- 
coal in  the  same  way,  but  I  prefer  to 
keep  it  separate  with  the  grit  and 
the  crushed  slu" 


Exercise  for  Fowls — I  was  greatly 
interested  in  an  article  of  yours  on 
feeding.  You  say  give  a  hen  a  chance 
to  work  and  no  matter  how  fat,  etc. 
Now  what  interests  me  most  to  know 
is  just  how  you  manage  to  give  them 
plenty  of  work  in  a  limited  space. 
We,  who  occupy  only  a  village  lot, 
will  be  greatly  helped  if  you  will 
tell  us  how  to  keep  hens  busy  in  such 
limited  quarters. — G.  P.  C. 

Answer — To  keep  hens  busy,  give 
them  what  is  called  a  "scratching 
pen."  Put  a  12-inch  board  across  one 
corner  of  your  lot  and  fill  that  full  of 
good  wheat  straw  or  hay;  scatter  all 
the  grain  you  feed  in  that,  and  the 
hens  will  work  all  day  digging  out 
the  grain;  every  grain  they  scratch 
out  they  will  bury  two,  and  so  will 
keep  up  the  exercise.  If  you  are 
feeding  the  hopper  method,  put  the 
hopper  at  one  end  of  the  pen  and 
the  water  vessel  at  the  other  end; 
this  will  give  them  the  exercise  of 
walking  back  and  forth.  You  can 
also  hang  up  a  cabbage  for  them  to 
jump  at,  but  scratching  is  the  natural 
and  best  exercise  for  developing  the 
egg  organs. 


beginners  know  what  a  good  balanced 
ration  is.  We  are  just  as  apt  to  over- 
feed as  to  underrfeed.  Would  you 
kindly  give  me  formula  for  a  good 
egg  ration?  In  giving  ration,  kindly 
state  quantities  of  each  kind  of  feed 
used  in  ration,  amount  to  be  fed  to 
twelve  hens,  whether  to  be  fed  wet 
or  dry,  morning  or  night;  also  amount 
of  grain  for  twelve  hens;  in  other 
words,  a  full  day's  egg  ration  for 
twelve  hens;  when  to  feed,  how  to 
feed  and  quantity  for  daily  ration.  I 
have  some  White  Plymouth  Rocks, 
over  eight  months  old,  large  and  well 
developed,  but  only  two  of  them  have 
commenced  to  lay.  I  feed  morning 
mash  of  2  parts  bran,  1  shorts,  1  bar- 
ley meal,  1  cornmeal,  1  alfalfa  meal, 
y2  blood  meal.  Wheat  at  night,  about 
1/4  pints  for  twelve  hens;  good  clean 
yards  and  houses;  fresh  cut  kale  at 
noon.— W.  S.  F. 

Answer — The  ration  you  are  now 
feeding  is  a  very  good  one,  but  at  this 
time  of  the  year  (early  spring),  I  would 
advise  you  to  double  the  amount  of 
blood-meal  in  the  mash.  I  would  feed 
the  mash  perfectly  dry,  without  mois- 
tening it  in  the  least,  in  the  morning; 
the  green  feed  at  noon,  and  the  wheat 
at  night,  or  I  would  reverse  it,  feeding 
the  wheat  in  the  scratching  pen  in  the 
morning,  green  food  at  noon,  and  the 
mash  slightly  dampened  with  table 
scraps  you  may  have,  at  night,  giving 
the  hens  at  their  supper  time  what 
they  will  eat  up  clean.  Pullets  that 
are  ready  to  lay  will  sometimes  retain 
their  eggs  if  they  do  not  have  com- 
fortable nests;  also  sometimes  they 
require  a  slight  shock  or  stimulants 
to  start  they  laying.  I  find  chili 
pepper  seeds  excellent  for  starting 
the  laying,  or  failing  to  get  this,  a 
teaspoonful  of  red  pepper  three  times 
a  week  for  a  dozen  hens,  will  often 
start  them  laying.  The  ration  you 
are  feeding,  if  you  add  more  blood 
meal  (or  animal  food)  is  a  well  bal- 
anced ration  for  eggs. 


Ration  for  Twelve  Hens — I  take 
great  pleasure  in  reading  your  ar- 
ticles. One  thing  I  have  failed  to 
find  and  that  is  a  good  balanced  ra- 
tion; many  writers  say,  feed  a  good 
balanced  ration,  but  few  of  us  new 


Tomatoes — Do  tomatoes  tend  to 
make  the  hens  quit  laying? — J.  W. 

Answer — Tomatoes  will  not  do  the 
hens  any  harm  unless  fed  in  very 
large  quantities.  There  is  not  much 
nourishment  to  them  and  consequent- 
ly they  will  not  improve  the  laying 
qualities;  otherwise  a  reasonable 
amount  will  benefit  the  hens. 


168 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


Formula  for  Feeding — Your  formu- 
la for  feeding — two  parts  bran,  one 
part  cornmeal,  one  part  alfalfa  meal, 
one  part  shorts,  one  part  beef  scraps 
— is  the  simplest  I  have  ever  seen,  so 
shall  try  it. 

1.  Will    the    same    formula    hold 
good  with   hens  with   free  range   but 
no  green  food? 

2.  In    case    they    have    access    to 
fresh  alfalfa  hay,  would  it  be  neces- 
sary to  use  the  alfalfa  meal? 

3.  Could    I    substitute    shorts    or 
middlings   for   the   meal   in   case   they 
are   cheaper,  and  if  so,  in  what  pro- 
portion? 

4.  Does  the   balanced   ration   keep 
up  the  egg  yield  during  moulting  or 
is  it  necessary  to  add  oil  meal  or  some 
similar    meal    during    that    period? — 
Mrs.  G.  H.  G. 

Answer — The  same  formula  is  good 
for  hens  with  no  green  food,  but  it  is 
much  better  to  give  them  green  food, 
or  roots,  beets,  turnips,  carrots, 
pumpkins,  or  some  succulent  vege- 
table if  possible. 

2.  No,    not    absolutely    necessary, 
but  I  always  continue  the  alfalfa  meal 
so  the  hens  may  not  forget  the  taste 
of  it,   as   it   is   sometimes   difficult   to 
break  them  into  the  habit  of  eating  it. 

3.  You  could  not  substitute  shorts 
or  middlings  for  it. 

4.  During  the  moult,  add  oil-meal 
or  linseed  meal,  about  one-fourth  of 
one  part,  to  the  feed.    This  ripens  the 
feathers,   makes   them   fall   out  easier 
and  grow  more  quickly. 


For   Young  and   Old   Stock — I    am 

very  much  interested  in  your  articles 
and  would  like  to  ask  you  for  a  little 
advice.  Being  away  from  home  all 
day,  I  have  to  feed  in  the  morning 
enough  to  do  all  day.  This  I  can 
manage  for  the  old  stock  by  feeding 
scratch  food  in  the  litter  and  dry  mash 
in  hoppers.  But  how  can  I  manage 
the  growing  stock?  Please  give  a 
formula  for  dry  feed.  Do  you  con- 
sider the  scratch  food  sold  by  the 
poultry  houses  good  food  for  the 
young  stock?  My  chicks  will  not  eat 
the  baby  chick  food  after  a  week  or 
ten  days.  I  also  give  them  lawn  clip- 
pings or  lettuce  every  evening. 

Is  a  handful  of  scratch  feed  to  the 
hen  once  a  day  enough  where  they 
have  the  dry  mash  and  table  scraps? 
Is  cracked  corn  good  food  to  feed 


alone  to  young  stock?     I  have  Rhode 
Island  Reds.— R.  L.  P. 

Answer  —  Your  questions  relate 
principally  to  the  feeding  of  the 
young  stock,  and  you  do  not  say 
whether  you  want  to  keep  them  for 
fattening  for  the  table  or  for  future 
egg  layers.  There  is  of  course  a  dif- 
ference in  the  way  of  feeding,  or 
rather  in  the  quality  of  the  food  to 
be  given  to  them.  However,  I  will 
tell  you  the  way  I  feed  for  egg  laying. 
As  soon  as  I  think  the  little  chicks 
will  eat  whole  wheat,  I  add  it  to  the 
baby  chick  feed,  a  small  quantity.  If 
they  pick  it  up  quickly  I  add  more 
each  day,  and  in  a  few  days  I  give  also 
some  kaffir  corn  or  finely  cracked 
corn.  It  should  be  finely  cracked,  as 
it  is  difficult  of  digestion.  When  it 
is  too  long  in  digesting,  the  corn 
ferments  in  the  gizzard  and  that  gives 
the  chick  diarrhoea,  which  often 
proves  fatal.  We  never  want  to  over- 
tax the  digestion  of  a  chick,  so  I  give 
corn  carefully.  This  applies  to  the 
last  question  in  your  letter — it  is  not 
good  to  feed  corn  alone.  It  has  been 
clearly  proven  that  chicks  do  better, 
grow  more  quickly  and  mature  ear- 
lier if  they  can  have  a  great  variety 
of  seeds  to  eat.  This  is  the  reason 
we  prefer  to  buy  the  chick  feed  al- 
ready mixed  from  the  supply  houses. 
They  have  greater  facilities  for  get- 
ting a  variety  of  grains  than  we  have. 

When  the  young  stock  is  old 
enough  to  eat  the  wheat  and  kaffir 
corn,  they  can  be  fed  as  you  do  the 
old  hens,  only  remember  to  give  them 
nice,  clean  litter  to  scratch  in.  It 
will  need  renewing  oftener  than  that 
of  the  old  hens,  for  if  it  gets  foul  and 
they  pick  up  some  of  their  own  drop- 
pings, you  will  soon  have  a  set  of 
sick  chickens.  Feed  the  grains  in  the 
scratching  pen  to  the  little  chicks,  and 
also  give  them  in  a  hopper  bran,  al- 
falfa meal,  corn  meal,  ground  bone 
and  either  granulated  milk  or  dried 
blood  in  equal  proportions.  The  lit- 
tle chicks  will  prefer  the  grains  in  the 
scratching  pen  and  eat  those  the  first, 
which  is  just  what  they  want,  but  if 
they  are  hungry  they  will  go  to  the 
hopper.  Most  of  the  poultry  supply 
houses  now  make  an  excellent  scratch 
feed;  they  realize  the  need  of  it  and 
are  able  to  mix  it  scientifically.  I  al- 
ways buy  from  them,  and  if  I  think 
there  is  too  much  corn  and  that  my 
fowls  will  become  too  fat,  I  say, 


FEEDING  IN  GENERAL 


169 


"Please  economize  the  corn."  You 
will  find  most  of  the  poultry  supply 
houses  willing  to  mix  the  scratch  food 
just  as  you  want  it.  You  are  feeding 
the  mature  stock  all  right.  One  hand- 
ful of  the  scratch  food  in  the  litter  is 
about  right  for  the  hens.  The  green 
food  is  quite  important,  the  lawn  clip- 
pings should  be  of  clover  or  as  much 
clover  as  possible,  for  the  blue  grass 
becomes  so  hard  and  stiff  as  the  sum- 
mer continues  that  there  is  not  much 
nourishment  in  it  and  the  hens  will 
not  eat  it.  Lettuce  is  good  but  is 
sometimes  quite  expensive  and  diffi- 
cult to  get,  but  there  is  another  green 
food  that  has  been  found  excellent 
and  is  within  the  reach  of  any  one. 
This  is  sprouted  oats.  Take  half  a 
bucket  of  oats,  pour  warm  water  on 
them  and  leave  them  covered  all 
night,  then  spread  them  in  boxes. 
Any  box  will  do.  Have  the  oats 
about  two  inches  deep  and  keep  them 
damp.  In  four  or  five  days  .there 
will  be  a  mass  of  tender  green 
sprouts.  The  hens  will  eat  eagerly 
of  this.  A  friend  of  mine  has  also 
done  this  with  barley  for  many  years 
with  great  success.  This  green  food 
is  as  good  for  the  young  stock  as  for 
the  old. 

In  your  place  I  would  feed  as  you 
do,  throwing  scratch  food  (a  handful 
to  each  fowl)  in  the  litter  in  the 
early  morning,  keeping  the  dry  mash 
in  the  hopper,  and  feed  the  green 
food  in  the  evening.  Some  of  it  may 
be  left  till  morning,  but  will  not  wilt 
much,  and  they  will  eat  it  the  first 
thing.  Be  sure  they  have  plenty  of 
water  and  have  it  shaded  from  the 
sun,  either  in  a  box  on  its  side  or  in 
some  sort  of  shelter. 


Mixing  Foods — I  want  to  ask  you 
if  there  is  any  good  reason  for  not 
mixing  foods  at  the  same  meal.  Prof. 
Jaffa  of  the  U.  C.  said  on  one  occa- 
sion that  it  was  best  not  to  mix  foods 
— in  feeding  wheat,  to  feed  that  alone; 
the  same  of  barley  or  of  corn.  Make 
either  an  entire  meal.  I  have  ob- 
served in  feeding  my  chickens  that 
they  seem  to  enjoy  a  variety  of  grains 
fed  together.  Which  method  would 
you  think  best? 

I  am  feeding  rolled  barley  dry. 
Would  you  think  it  better  to  soak  it? 
I  give  the  mash  at  noon,  dry,  and 
green  feed  morning  and  evening.  The 


fowls  seem  to  like  the  green  feed 
better  at  those  times  than  at  noon. 

Would  you  set  eggs  from  well 
grown  White  Minorca  pullets  that 
are  now  nearly  eight  months  old? 
They  are  now  with  a  rooster  of  the 
same  age;  or  if  not  now,  would  it 
be  safe  to  set  them  after  they  are 
nine  months  old? — G.  S.  H. 

Answer  —  The  reason  Professor 
Jaffa  thinks  it  best  not  to  mix  foods 
is  because  some  hens  will  pick  out  all 
of  a  certain  grain  in  a  greedy  man- 
ner, and  by  giving  only  one  grain  at 
a  time,  they  are  forced  to  eat  what 
he  chooses  to  give  them.  I  would 
not  venture  to  differ  from  so  learned 
a  man,  but  like  you,  I  notice  my  hens 
enjoy  a  variety,  so  I  give  it  to  them, 
and  for  the  little  chicks  I  am  posi- 
tive a  great  variety  is  by  far  the  best 
for  them.  I  found  that  the  hens  en- 
joyed an  occasional  feed  of  soaked 
barley,  so  I  poured  scalding  water 
over  a  few  pailsful  of  barley,  covering 
it  with  gunny  sacks  to  keep  in  the 
steam  and  when  thoroughly  soaked, 
fed  it  to  the  hens. 

I  would  not  set  eggs  from  such 
young  pullets.  I  would  wait  until 
they  are  nine  or  ten  months  of  age; 
especially  as  they  are  mated  with  a 
cockerel  of  their  own  age.  The  off- 
spring of  immature  fowls  is  often 
weakly  and  delicate.  I  have  found  it 
much  more  satisfactory  to  hatch  only 
from  two-year-old  birds.  Then  you 
have  the  foundation  of  a  vigorous 
flock  of  fowls,  and  I  never  hatch 
from  Mediterraneans  of  less  than  a 
year.  It  really  pays  better  and  is 
much  less  anxious  work  having  only 
vigorous  chickens,  chickens  that  can- 
not help  but  grow  and  develop  as  we 
want  them. 

How  Much  to  Feed — Can  you  tell 
me  how  much  feed  an  average  Leg- 
horn should  have  in  weight  with  a 
free  range  of  two  acres  of  alfalfa? 
Is  green  ground  bone  necessary  all 
the  year  round  or  only  in  the  winter? 
My  hens  will  not  lay  and  I  may  not 
be  feeding  right,  although  a  few 
Wyandottes  I  have  are  too  fat,  but 
they  get  exactly  the  same  food  as  the 
Leghorns.  I  have  72  hens  and  only 
got  12  eggs  yesterday.  Am  not  satis- 
fied with  the  results  and  desire  to 
have  them  do  better. 

Answer — An  average  Leghorn  hen 
should  have  in  weight  for  every 


170 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


pound  weight  of  hen  an  ounce  of 
food.  As  Leghorns  weigh  about  five 
pounds  each,  they  would  require 
about  five  ounces  of  food  each  per 
day.  Animal  food  of  some  kind  is 
necessary  for  hens  if  you  want  them 
to  lay.  If  you  can  give  them  milk 
in  large  quantities,  that  will  give 
them  all  the  animal  food  necessary. 
Green  ground  bone  is,  of  course,  the 
best  food,  but  it  is  very  difficult  to 
keep  it  fresh  and  sweet  in  the  sum- 
mer time,  therefore  dried  bone  and 
dried  blood,  or  beef  scrap  or  milk 
must  take  the  place.  A  hen  requires 
about  half  an  ounce  of  green  ground 
bone  every  day  or  of  the  dry  stuff 
(bone  and  blood)  half  an  ounce  every 
other  day.  If  the  fowls  have  plenty 
of  green  food  and  are  not  laying  well, 
give  them  more  animal  food.  Per- 
haps your  Leghorns  are  two  years 
old,  in  which  case  you  had  better  get 
younger  fowls,  as  their  days  of  great- 
est usefulness  are  over. 


bonaceous  food  than  hens,  and  I  am 
afraid  if  you  increase  the  corn,  be- 
fore you  want  to  fatten  them  for  the 
market,  you  will  have  liver  trouble  in 
the  flock.  Be  very  careful  how  you 
increase  the  corn  or  corn  meal. 


Feeding  for  Market — What  shall  we 
feed  young  cockerels  to  prepare  them 
for  market? 

Our  turkey  hens  are  still  laying. 
Will  they  lay  next  year  in  time  for 
hatching  season,  say  January  or  Feb- 
ruary? Of  course,  I  do  not  expect 
you  could  tell  exactly  what  a  turkey 
hen  would  do,  but  would  like  your 
idea  of  it.  If  I  thought  they  would 
not  lay  before  March,  I  would  rather 
sell  them.  What  would  you  advise? 
-S.  L.  J. 

Answer — For  fattening  your  cock- 
erels, coop  them  in  a  small  place,  so 
they  will  not  exercise.  Feed  them 
three  times  a  day  a  mash  composed 
of  one  part  each  of  corn  meal  (feed 
meal),  bran  and  rolled  pats,  with  a 
little  charcoal,  and  mix  it  with  milk, 
if  possible.  Take  away  the  food  in 
fifteen  minutes,  leaving  only  water 
and  grit  before  them;  give  them  all 
they  will  eat  of  this,  and  in  from  two 
to  three  weeks  they  will  be  delicious, 
fat  and  juicy.  The  last  week  add  five 
per  cent  linseed  or  cotton  seed  meal. 

Your  turkeys  that  are  laying  now 
will  moult  late  and  probably  not  com- 
mence to  lay  again  before  March  or 
April,  although  as  you  say,  one  can- 
not be  very  certain  what  a  turkey  hen 
will  do. 

I  do  not  think  it  would  be  advisable 
to  shorten  their  ration  of  meat.  Tur- 
keys require  more  meat  and  less  car- 


How  Much  Grain— I  have  been 
feeding  three  times  a  day  grain  morn- 
ing and  night  and  a  mash  at  noon.  I 
feed  a  good  handful  of  Kaffir  corn, 
wheat  or  Indian  corn  in  the  scratch 
pens.  I  have  a  mixed  flock;  I  cannot 
well  use  the  dry  mash.  How  much 
of  the  grain  should  I  give  if  I  only 
fed  once  a  day?  I  have  fifty  or  sixty 
hens  kept  only  for  eggs  and  no  good 
way  of  weighing  grain,  so  please  state 
quantity  per  hen  and  not  weight. — C. 
A.  B. 

Answer — It  is  a  good  rule  to  feed  a 
pint  of  grain  for  every  dozen  hens,  the 
grain  to  be  buried  in  the  scratching 
pens,  so  they  will  have  to  dig  it  out. 
Give  all  the  green  food,  clover,  lawn 
clippings,  alfalfa,  lettuce,  cabbage, 
vegetables,  that  they  will  eat,  and  one 
tablespoonful  of  green  cut  bone  for 
each  hen,  three  times  a  week.  You 
do  not  mention  how  you  make  your 
mash.  Remember  that  a  hen  needs 
animal  food,  green  food  and  cereals; 
that  is  the  balanced  ration  that  will 
give  plenty  of  eggs  at  all  times. 


What  to  Feed  and  How— Will  you 

kindly  tell  me  what  to  feed  my  fowls? 
I  am  a  stranger  in  California  and 
cannot  make  my  flock  pay  for  its  feed. 
Four  months  ago  I  bought  25  hens 
and  two  cockerels  (Buff  Orpingtons), 
ten  four-months'  pullets  and  twelve 
Minorcas.  The  pullets  have  never 
layed,  the  hens  only  a  few  eggs.  They 
have  new  houses  and  are  in  an  or- 
ange grove  100  feet  by  65  feet  in  two 
pens.  I  take  the  Minorcas  out  of  the 
trees  each  night.  I  feed  an  egg  food 
sold  at  the  supply  house  here.  Grains, 
alfalfa  meal,  etc.,  is  in  the  egg  food. 
The  hens  have  dust  baths  and  I  paint 
the  roosts  with  a  lice  killer.  I  get 
no  eggs;  one  cockerel  rattles  in  his 
throat.  The  leading  poultryman  here 
has  been  up  and  can  find  no  fault. 
Will  you  please  tell  me  what  and  how 
much  and  at  what  time  of  day  they 
should  be  fed?  They  are  high-priced 
fowls  and  I  want  to  make  them  lay 
eggs.  The  grove  is  kept  cultivated 
during  the  summer  and  everything  is 
new.  It  seems  to  be  only  a  question 


FEEDING  IN  GENERAL 


171 


of  food  and  exercise.  I  get  so  many 
different  opinions  I  do  not  know  what 
to  do;  some  say  they  are  too  fat, 
others  not  fat  enough.  How  can  I 
make  them  scratch  any  more?  I 
would  like  to  feed  as  cheaply  as  pos- 
sible. Where  could  I  get  the  Cali- 
fornia Experiment  Station  Bulletin? 
—Mrs.  L.  S. 

Answer — Your  fowls,  especially  the 
Orpingtons,  should  be  laying  well.  It 
is,  as  you  say,  a  question  of  fejsd  and 
exercise.  I  find  the  best  results  with 
Orpingtons  is  to  feed  grain  in  the 
scratching  pen  in  the  morning;  one 
small  handful  scattered  in  deep  straw 
for  each  hen.  I  keep  the  following 
mixture  in  a  hopper,  or  box,  before 
them  all  the  time;  also  I  give  them 
crushed  oyster  shell,  charcoal  and 
granulated  bone  in  a  hopper  by  itself: 
Mix  two  quarts  of  bran,  one  of  corn 
meal,  one  of  alfalfa  meal,  one  of  beef 
scrap,  or  of  granulated  milk.  To  this 
I  add,  on  cold  days,  a  tablespoon  of 
ground  red  peppers,  and  when  they 
are  moulting,  half  a  cup  of  linseed 
meal. 

If  you  feed  in  this  way  you  cannot 
fail  to  have  eggs.  Besides  this,  I  give 
the  hens  lawn  clippings,  table  scraps 
and  refuse  vegetables.  Hens  do  much 
better  in  this  climate  when  they  can 
have  plenty  of  green  food.  All  the 
bulletins  of  the  Agricultural  Experi- 
ment Station  can  be  had  by  writing  to 
the  Director  of  the  Station,  Univer- 
sity of  California,  Berkeley,  Cal. 
They  are  free  to  residents  in  this 
state. 


like  slivers,  because  they  may  pierce 
the  crop  or  gizzard.  For  several 
years  when  I  c^uld  not  get  grit  I 
used  broken  crockery  for  the  chickens 
and  I  know  it  does  well. 


Broken  Glass  for  Chickens — Have 
started  in  poultry  in  a  small  way. 
Have  had  very  good  success  so  far. 
However,  'tis  somewhat  of  a  trial  to 
get  enough  gravel  or  grit  for  a  good 
sized  flock  on  a  small  lot.  Now, 
what  I  want  to  know  is,  is  pounded 
glass  fit  to  feed  hens?  Two  of  my 
neighbors  have  advised  its  use  in  the 
poultry  yards,  but  I  am  afraid  it 
would  act  on  the  chickens  the  same 
as  it  did  on  foxes  we  used  to  poison 
with  it  up  in  the  wilds  of  Wisconsin. 
— J.  G.  F. 

Answer — Broken  glass  or  broken 
crockery  make  a  very  fair  substitute 
for  grit  and  gravel.  It  should  be 
broken  not  smaller  than  a  grain  of 
wheat  and  have  three  sharp  edges  or 
corners  to  each  piece.  In  using  glass 
be  sure  not  to  take  pointed  pieces 


Substitute  for  Green  Food — Will 
you  kindly  tell  me  what  would  be  the 
quickest  and  best  vegetable  for  green 
food  I  could  grow  for  my  poultry?  I 
planted  a  patch  of  white  clover,  but  it 
does  not  seem  to  grow  at  all.  Is  al- 
falfa meal  a  good  substitute  where 
green  food  cannot  be  had? — G.  K. 

Answer — An  alfalfa  patch  is  a  good 
thing  to  have  for  poultry,  but  if  you 
cannot  have  either  clover  or  alfalfa, 
plant  for  the  little  chickens,  lettuce, 
and  for  the  older  ones,  kale,  swiss- 
chard,  cabbage,  beets,  etc.  These  in 
the  order  in  which  I  have  mentioned 
them  are  the  best  foods  that  I  know 
of.  You,  of  course,  must  judge  what 
will  grow  best  in  your  section.  Alfal- 
fa meal  is  a  very  fair  substitute  for 
green  food,  but  of  course  does  not 
come  up  to  the  crisp  succulent  fresh 
growing  greens. 


Lack  Green  Food — I  have  three 
pens  of  White  Plymouth  Rocks  and 
what  bothers  me  is  I  only  get  from 
four  to  six  eggs  from  them.  They  all 
look  fine.  I  think  they  are  rather  fat.  As 
to  feed,  I  give  them  a  small  handful 
of  grain  in  the  morning  in  deep  straw, 
either  wheat  or  barley;  about  eleven  a 
dry  mash — eight  quarts  bran,  four 
quarts  middlings  and  nearly  a  quart  of 
beef  scraps;  at  night  I  give  them  the 
dry  grain  again.  Once  in  a  while  a 
tablespoonful  of  pepper  in  their  mash. 
They  are  not  troubled  with  lice  or 
mites,  and  have  grit,  oyster. shell  and 
coal  before  them  all  the  time;  also 
good  clean  water.  Can  you  advise 
me  how  to  feed  them  so  as  to  get 
them  down  to  business? — J.  B. 

Answer — What  your  hens  lack  is; 
green  food.  At  least  one-third  of  a 
hen's  food  should  be  green — clover, 
alfalfa  or  some  succulent  vegetables. 
They  cannot  do  well  upon  the  abso- 
lutely dry  food  you  are  giving  them. 
Add  the  green  to  your  present  ration 
and  you  should  get  eggs. 


Millet  Seed — Can  you  tell  me  what 
makes  my  chickens  that  are  from  ten 
weeks  to  three  months  old,  droopy? 
Is  millet  seed  good  for  little  chicks 


172 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


for  the  first  two  or  three  weeks?  I 
mean  millet  seed  alone. — Mrs.  P.  E.  N. 
Answer — When  chickens  are  droopy 
it  is  a  sign  that  they  may  have  either 
lice,  worms  or  indigestion.  If  you  are 
feeding  millet  seed,  that  may  account 
for  it.  Millet  seed  is  very  hard,  round 
and  slippery,  and  passes  through  the 
gizzard  and  intestines  without  being 
digested,  and  I  have  known  of  several 
chickens  dying  from  it.  A  little  used 
in  their  food  may  not  hurt  them,  but 
an  exclusive  diet  of  millet  is  certain  to 
cause  trouble. 


Skim  Milk — Will  you  kindly  inform 
me  whether  skim  milk  is  a  good  food 
for  young  pullets  or  laying  hens? 
Which  is  best,  sweet,  clabber  or  curd? 
Is  there  danger  of  feeding  too  much 
curd  or  skim  milk?  Is  curd  of  more 
value  to  young  stock  or  to  laying 
hens?  I  have  a  bunch  of  ten-weeks- 
old  pullets  that  I  am  feeding  clabber 
and  bran  mixed  until  it  makes  a 
crumbly  mash.  Is  it  a  fattening  or 
muscle  or  bone  making  ration?  How 
would  it  do  to  feed  to  laying  stock? 
I  give  skim  milk  to  my  laying  hens  in 
troughs  which  set  in  the  sun.  Will 
that  kill  diseased  germs  or  not? — L. 
E.  E. 

Answer — Skim  milk  is  one  of  the 
best  foods  for  chickens  or  hens  at  any 
stage  of  their  lives.  It  can  be  fed 
either  sweet,  clabber  or  curd.  By 
curd,  I  mean  cooked.  If  you  cook 
it,  be  careful  not  to  heat  it  above  100 
degrees  or  it  will  become  tough  and 
indigestible.  There  is  no  danger  of 
feeding  too  much  skim  milk  or  clab- 
ber to  fowls.  The  crumbly  mash  is 
good  feed,  but  you  would  succeed 
just  as  well  by  giving  them  the  bran 
dry  and  letting  them  drink  or  eat  the 
milk  as  they  want  it.  It  is  a  good 
bone,  muscle  and  egg-making  ration. 
I  give  my  fowls  all  the  milk  I  can 
spare,  pouring  it  into  troughs  and 
leaving  it  till  they  eat  it.  The  sun 
does  not  seem  to  affect  it  badly  when 
it  is  pure  milk,  but  if  bran  were 
mixed  with  it,  the  sun  might  make  it 
ferment  and  then  it  would  disagree 
with  them. 


Sorghum  Seed — Will  you  tell  me 
the  value  of  sorghum  seed  for  poul- 
try? Is  it  fat  producing  or  an  egg 
food,  and  how  would  it  do  for  tur- 
keys?—C.  B.  C. 

Answer  —  Sorghum  seed,  broom 
corn  seed  and  Egyptian  corn  have  al- 
most the  same  nutritive  value.  They 
can  be  fed  to  both  chickens  and  tur- 
keys with  the  same  satisfactory  re- 
sults. One  year  when  on  the  farm  I 
had  several  tons  of  broom  corn  seed 
which  was  left  where  the  threshers 
worked  and  the  fowls  had  free  access 
to  it  and  the  green-growing  wheat; 
they  got  through  the  moult  early  and 
layed  all  winter,  eggs  galone.  I  never 
saw  better  laying  and  the  turkeys  did 
well  on  it.  Professor  Jaffa  in  his 
most  valuable  bulletin  (Farmer's  bul- 
letin 164)  on  poultry  feeding,  gives 
us  the  nutritive  value  of  broom  corn 
and  of  sorghum  seed  as  both  the  same 
— 1:8.4;  of  Egyptian  corn,  1:8-6;  Sor- 
ghum seed  is  more  fattening  than 
wheat  and  less  fattening  than  corn. 
If  your  fowls  are  on  free  range  and 
have  plenty  of  green  food  and  animal 
food  or  milk,  sorghum  seed  will  be 
an  excellent  food  for  them.  You 
should  write  to  the  Director  Agricul- 
tural Experiment  Station,  University 
of  California,  Berkeley,  and  ask  him 
to  send  you  "Bulletin  164  on  Poultry 
Feeding,"  then  you  can  see  just  the 
right  way  to  balance  your  ration. 


Kaffir  Corn — 1.  Is  Kaffir  corn  the 
same  as  Egyptian  corn,  and  is  it  an 
egg  food  or  simply  a  fattening  food? 

2.  About  what  should  a  White 
Plymouth  cockerel  weigh  at  four 
months  old? 

Answer — 1.  Kaffir  and  Egyptian 
corn  belong  to  the  same  family  and 
are  very  much  alike.  They  are  both 
fattening  grains,  and  I  prefer  mixing 
them  with  other  grains,  such  as  wheat, 
barley,  oats  or  buckwheat. 

2.  A  White  Rock  cockerel  at  four 
months  of  age  should  weigh  about 
four  pounds;  at  six  months,  six 
pounds. 


THE  EGG  QUESTION 


Egg-Bound — I  have  the  White 
Minorcas.  Have  15  hens  and  get 
from  12  to  14  eggs  per  day.  I  have 
a  pullet  and  an  old  hen  that  seem 
to  droop  and  sit  around  all  day,  and 
sometimes  stagger;  they  had  been  lay- 
ing all  the  time  and  their  combs  are 
still  red,  but  they  do  not  lay  now. 
I  feed  them  bran  mash  in  the  morn- 
ing with  alfalfa  meal  and  egg-niaker, 
and  once  a  week  chopped  onions  and 
red  pepper,  and  at  noon  we  give  them 
green  grass,  and  at  night  wheat,  be- 
sides this  they  get  lots  of  meat  scraps 
from  the  table;  they  have  oystershell 
and  grit  before  them  all  the  time. 
They  have  not  eaten  anything  since 
they  felt  this  way,  but  seem  to  kind 
of  gasp  for  breath,  and  they  do  not 
seem  to  have  anything  in  their  craws. 
Thanking  you  in  advance  for  a  reply, 
I  remain. — Mrs.  J.  W.  S. 

Answer — Your  hens  certainly  have 
been  doing  very  well.  Minorcas  very 
often  get  egg-bound,  as  their  eggs 
are  so  large  they  have  difficulty  in 
laying  them.  This  may  be  the  case 
with  yours,  and  I  would  advise  you 
to  examine  them.  You  might  also 
give  them  some  Epsom  salts,  half  a 
teaspoonful  in  a  tablespoonful  of  wa- 
ter. If  they  are  egg-bound,  inject  a 
little  olive  oil  and  hold  the  body  of 
the  hen  in  a  pan  of  warm  water,  as 
warm  as  you  can  bear  your  hands 
in;  this  will  relax  the  parts  and  en- 
able the  egg  to  pass.  If  it  is  indi- 
gestion, the  Epsom  salts  will  help 
that.  I  think  your  hens  may  not  be 
getting  green  food  enough. 

Egg-bound  is  most  common  in 
sluggish  birds,  or  those  closely  con- 
fined without  opportunity  to  exercise. 
Active  fowls,  such  as  Leghorns,  sel- 
dom take  life  easy  enough  to  get  fat, 
hence  are  not  subject  to  this  disease^ 
which  is  largely  owing  to  an  over-fat 
condition  of  the  entire  system,  in 
which  the  egg  passage  is  pressed  upon 
by  the  accumulation  of  fat,  hindering 
the  passage  of  the  egg.  Not  only  are 
there  large  collections  of  fat  in  the  ab- 
dominal cavity,  but  much  of  the  mus- 
cular tissue  is  replaced  by  streaks  of 
fat.  This  weakens  the  muscles  of  the 
egg  passage,  so  that  the  egg  may  be 
arrested  in  the  passage  where  it  sets 
up  inflammation.  This  same  egg- 
bound  condition  sometimes  causes 
death  from  heart  disease.  The  bird 


goes  on  the  nest  to  lay,  strains  vio- 
lently to  pass  the  egg,  the  heart  mus- 
cles are  decidedly  weak  from  fatty  de- 
generation, the  extra  exertion  is  too 
much  for  the  weakened  heart,  and  it 
gives  out,  the  bird  being  found  on  the 
nest  dead. 

In  the  early  stages  when  the  irri- 
tation is  slight,  it  is  sufficient  to  in- 
ject a  small  quantity  of  olive  oil  and 
gently  manipulate  the  parts.  After- 
wards give  cooling  green  food,  and 
if  the  hens  are  too  fat,  reduce  the 
ration.  In  case  the  expulsion  of  the 
egg  cannot  be  obtained  by  the  injec- 
tion of  oil,  immerse  the  lower 
part  of  the  body  in  water,  as  warm 
as  can  be  used  without  injury,  and 
hold  it  there-  half  an  hour  or  more, 
until  the  parts  are  relaxed.  Then  in- 
ject oil  and  endeavor  to  assist  the 
bird  by  careful  pressure  and  manipu- 
lation or  by  gentle  dilatation  of  the 
passage. 


It  Cured  Them — How  long  can 
eggs  be  kept  for  setting  and  do  they 
require  any  special  treatment?  I  have 
a  favorite  hen  and  I  want  to  set  as 
many  of  her  eggs  as  possible,  but 
I  do  not  know  how  long  they  will 
remain  fertile,  as  I  have  no  hen  want- 
ing to  sit  at  present.  Several  of  my 
fowls  had  a  touch  of  roup  and  I  tried 
a  remedy  that  you  gave  (castor  oil, 
camphorated  oil,  kerosene,  turpentine 
and  a  few  drops  of  carbolic  acid) 
squirted  up  her  nostrils.  I  also  mixed 
another  remedy  that  you  gave  (cay- 
enne pepper,  mustard,  vinegar,  lard 
and  flour)  and  gave  it  to  the  fowls,  in 
pills,  as  you  said.  I  happened  to  leave 
it  where  they  could  get  at  it,  and 
found  that  I  need  not  give  it  in  pills 
for  they  were  eating  it  with  relish. 
I  have  made  .the  mixture  several 
times  since  and  they  seem  to  be 
very  fond  of  it.  Their  combs  have 
become  very  red  and  although  they 
are  moulting,  they  are  laying  well. 
Would  you  advise  allowing  them  to 
eat  all  they  want  of  it?  They  are 
entirely  well  of  the  roup. — Mrs.  H. 
A.  H. 

Answer — In  reply  to  your  first 
question,  it  is  well  to  remember  that 
the  fresher  the  eggs  you  set,  the 
stronger  will  be  the  chicks.  I  have 
always  set  them  as  fresh  as  I  can  get 
them,  and  I  never  sold  eggs  over  a 


174 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


week  old  for  setting.  However,  I 
have  kept  eggs  from  a  favorite  hen 
for  three  weeks  and  had  a  very  good 
hatch.  To  keep  them,  I  always  lay 
the  eggs  on  their  side  on  sawdust  or 
on  grain  (oats  or  barley)  to  keep 
them  from  rolling  and  I  turn  them 
every  day.  By  this  means  the  yolk 
does  not  adhere  to  one  side,  and  I 
have  a  good  hatch.  Some  advise 
standing  them  on  the  small  end,  but 
it  does  not  succeed  as  well  as  my 
way.  I  am  glad  your  fowls  have 
gotten  over  the  roup.  I  would  not 
advise  you  to  let  them  eat  their  medi- 
cine, because  that  remedy  is  a  very 
powerful  stimulant,  and  although  ex- 
cellent for  a  cold,  often  curing  it  in 
one  day,  it  will  prove  an  irritant  if 
continued  too  long.  It  is  even  now 
stimulating  the  egg  organs  and  digest- 
ive organs  greatly,  as  is  shown  by 
the  comb,  and  I  advise  you  to  dis- 
continue it,  increasing  the  animal 
food;  and,  as  yours  are  Rhode  Island 
Reds,  I  would  advise  adding  some  oil 
cake  (linseed  meal)  to  the  food. 
This  will  help  to  give  a  fine  gloss  to 
the  new  feathers. 


Soft  Shelled  Eggs — Having  read  a 
great  deal  of  your  advice,  I  will  ask 
of  you  a  favor.  Would  you  please 
tell  me  what  can  be  the  reason  chick- 
ens lay  unshelled  eggs?  They  some- 
times drop  them  while  on  the  roost 
or  out  among  the  brush.  Mine  have 
been  very  bad  of  late;  I  get  as  many 
as  three  or  four  a  day,  sometimes, 
from  about  thirty  hens.  I  should  be 
real  thankful  to  find  out  what  to  do 
for  them. — Mrs.  L.  E.  L. 

Answer — Soft-shelled  eggs  are  not 
exactly  a  diseased  condition,  but  may 
be  a  symptom  of  approaching  danger. 
It  is  usually  due  to  a  lack  of  shell- 
making  material  in  the  food,  or  to 
inflammation  of  the  shell-forming 
chamber  of  the  egg  duct,  which  no 
longer  secretes  calcareous  matter. 
Over-stimulation  of  the  egg  organs 
by  the  use  of  pepper  or  stimulating 
egg  foods,  will  have  this  effect. 
Worms  in  the  intestines  may  also  pro- 
duce the  irritation  that  will  affect  the 
oviduct,  and  an  over-fat  conditkm  will 
increase  the  tendency  to  laying  soft- 
shelled  eggs.  This  is  the  common 
cause  of  soft-shelled  eggs. 

Treatment — Provided  the  cause  is 
an  over-fat  condition,  it  can  be  reme- 
died by  giving  a  ration  low  in  fat-pro- 


ducing elements.  Give  the  fowls 
plenty  of  shell-forming  material,  such 
as  crushed  oyster  shells  and  grit,  cut 
bone  and  green  food;  make  them 
work  for  the  grain,  which  should  be 
wheat  in  preference  to  other  grains. 
One  heaping  teaspoonful  of  Epsom 
salts  to  a  pint  of  drinking  water  kept 
before  the  hens  for  a  day  twice  a 
week,  will  help  remove  the  layers  of 
fat.  Feed  a  properly  balanced  ration 
and  do  not  try  to  increase  the  egg 
yield  by  using  stimulants  that  irritate 
the  organs  of  reproduction. 


Blood  Spot  on  Yolk — I  have  150 
Brown  Leghorn  pullets  just  starting 
to  lay,  and  I  supply  a  few  customers 
with  eggs  and  they  have  been  com- 
plaining of  finding  a  little  blood  spot 
on  the  yolk.  I  have  plenty  of  nest 
room  so  they  are  not  crowded.  I 
have  been  picking  70  to  80  eggs  a 
day.  They  have  abundance  of  green 
feed.  I  feed  soft  feed  in  the  morning, 
wheat  at  mid-day,  corn  at  evening,  so 
if  you  will  please  let  me  know  what 
the  cause  of  this  is,  I  will  be  very 
much  obliged,  because  my  customers 
are  getting  dissatisfied. — W.  W.  M. 

Answer — The  small  blood  clot  you 
describe  results  from  a  slight  hemor- 
rhage which  has  generally  occurred 
in  the  upper  two-thirds  of  the  oviduct. 
Such  hemorrhages  are  the  result  of 
great  functional  activity  and  conges- 
tion of  the  blood  vessels.  They  are 
excited  by  any  of  the  causes  which 
lead  to  congestion  and  inflammation 
and  are  to  be  counteracted  by  green 
feed  and  less  animal  food  and  by  the 
suppression  of  red-pepper  or  any 
stimulants.  Give  a  little  Epsom  salts 
in  the  water  and  add  about  twice  the 
amount  of  salt  you  are  giving  to  the 
mash  in  the  morning,  leaving  off  the 
red-pepper. 


Largest  White  Eggs — I  am  start- 
ing or  trying  to  start  a  poultry  ranch 
and  would  like  to  ask  you  a  question 
recently  asked  by  some  one  else,  but 
in  a  little  different  way.  Which  of 
the  good  laying  breeds  lay  the  largest 
white  eggs?  My  aim  is  for  good  city 
trade.— E.  A.  M. 

Answer — The  Black  Minorcas  have 
the  reputation  of  laying  the  largest 
white  eggs.  The  White  Leghorns  are 
their  close  competitors.  It  very  much 
depends  upon  the  strain  or  family. 
For  instance,  one  set  of  fowls  may 


THE  EGG  QUESTION 


175 


have  been  selected  for  beauty  of  fea- 
ther and  form  and  their  owners  may 
not  have  chosen  those  that  layed  the 
largest  eggs,  whilst  some  have  care- 
fully chosen  the  largest  egg-layers,  and 
bred  from  those,  not  caring  for  ex- 
hibition birds,  and  again  a  third  party 
might  have  united  these  two  qualities 
and  have  both  prize  winners  and  the 
best  of  layers.  It  depends  upon  the 
ability  of  the  breeder  and  also  upon 
his  object. 

Black  Minorcas  do  admirably  in  the 
climate  of  Southern  California.  I  do 
not  know  how  they  would  grow  in  a 
damper,  colder  climate.  You  would 
have  to  inquire  of  people  who  have 
had  experience  in  that  kind  of  a  cli- 
mate. 

Sudden  Death — Lately  I  have  ha4 
three  hens  die  suddenly,  and  apparent- 
ly without  cause;  my  neighbors  have 
also  lost  several.  Perhaps  you  can 
enlighted  us  and  suggest  a  remedy. 
The  hens  were  laying,  combs  red  and 
large,  crops  full  of  wheat,  etc.,  but 
die  on  the  nest  over  night.  I  held  a 
post  mortem  examination  and  could 
find  nothing  radically  wrong.  Each 
had  well  formed  eggs  and  many  of 
them.  They  roost  high  in  the  open 
air;  run  out  nights  and  mornings  on. 
alfalfa.  I  feed  wheat  mostly,  and 
once  every  other  day,  hot  bran  mash 
with  a  spoonful  of  egg-maker.  Have 
had  over  40  dozen  eggs  without  inter- 
ruption since  January  1st,  from 
twelve  pullets — Minorcas — of  my  own 
raising.  This  is  the  first  death  I 
have  ever  had  except  of  the  little 
chicks.  Pens  are  clean,  no  lice  or 
mites.  Have  studied  closely  and  can't 
"savy."  Perhaps  you  can.  The  heart 
of  the  first  one  seemed  the  only  cause 
for  death,  as  it  had  a  large  inforct, 
probably  fatty  degeneration;  the  other 
was  normal. — Dr.  J.  A.  B. 

Answer — I  think,  as  your  hens  died 
on  the  nest,  that  they  had  some  diffi- 
culty in  laying,  and  were  probably 
egg-bound.  The  Minorcas  laying  a 
large  egg,  are  frequently  subject  to 
this  trouble,  more  so,  in  fact,  than 
the  other  breeds  which  lay  smaller 
eggs.  Straining  in  laying  frequently 
is  the  cause  of  a  blood  vessel  break- 
ing in  the  head,  which,  of  course,  re- 
sults in  apoplexy.  Minorcas  rarely 
suffer  from  an  over-fat  condition,  as 
they  are  a  very  active  breed. 


Egg-Eating       Hens— Would       you 

kindly  tell  me  how  to  treat  egg-eating 
hens?  What  will  'cure  them?— Mrs. 
R.  E.  G. 

Answer — The  best  way  is  to  cut 
the  head  off  the  offender  and  eat  her, 
for  she  is  certain  to  be  fat.  The  in- 
formation you  ask  for  is  as  follows: 
Mr.  Morse  (a  chicken  expert)  gives 
five  remedies  for  the  bad  habit  of  egg- 
eating.  First:  Fit  up  an  arrange- 
ment whereby  the  eggs,  as  soon  as 
layed,  slide  down  and  out  of  sight, 
into  a  sort  of  false  bottom  under  the 
nest.  The  hens  will  not  eat  them 
because  they  cannot  get  them.  Sec- 
ond: Have  a  lot  of  China  eggs  lying 
about  promiscuous-like  on  the  floor. 
Trying  to  eat  such  eggs  is  likely  to 
discourage  egg-eating.  Third:  Fix  up 
a  hollow  egg  with  aloes.  One  bite  is 
enough.  Consult  the  corner  druggist 
as  to  how  to  make  the  mess.  Fourth: 
Have  grit  and  crushed  oyster  shells 
about  in  abundance  in  self-feeding 
boxes.  Fifth:  Do  not  stuff  your 
hens  full  of  mash  in  the  morning 
and  let  them  sit  around  all  day,  like 
"Father"  in  the  song,  "Everybody 
Works  But  Father,"  but  feed  them 
grain  in  litter  and  make  them  hustle 
all  day.  This  keeps  them  out  of  mis- 
chief. Mr.  Morse's  advice  may  be 
good,  but  I  recommend  using  trap 
nests  by  which  means  you  will  easily 
discover  the  guilty  hen,  and  if  she 
is  not  too  valuable,  the  verdict  should 
be  decapitation.  Keep  oyster  shells, 
grit  and  charcoal  before  your  hens 
and  there  will  be  very  little  egg-eat- 
ing for  it  is  a  vice  which  always  com- 
mences with  weak  or  soft  egg  shells. 


Novel  Nests — Do  you  know  the 
name  of  the  maker  of  a  nest  with  an 
opening  in  the  bottom  so  that  the 
eggs  will  drop  through  into  a  box 
below  to  prevent  the  hens  from  eat- 
ing the  eggs? 

Answer — I  have  seen  the  mention 
of  such  nests  but  have  never  in  all 
the  many  poultry  ranches  I  visited, 
seen  such  nests  in  use.  You  might 
try  darkened  nests.  They  are  simply 
a  curtain  of  burlap  hung  in  front  of 
the  nest  with  a  split  up  the  middle. 
When  the  hen  has  layed  and  stepped 
off  the  nest  the  curtain  closes  behind 
her  and  she  can  not  see  the  egg  to 
eat  it.  This  has  been  found  suc- 
cessful. 


176 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


HATCHING  WITH  INCUBATOR  AND  HEN 


Poor  Hatches— We  have  been  run- 
ning our  incubator  since  February 
and  our  hatches  have  been  quite  poor. 
Our  hens  are  two  years  old  and  so 
are  our  roosters.  The  hens  are  fed 
regularly,  and  have  a  large  run  with 
plenty  of  alfalfa;  a  clean  airy  coop. 

The  chicks,  when  hatched,  are 
strong  and  vigorous.  We  have  some 
six  weeks  old  and  we  have  not  lost 
one,  but  when  they  are  hatching 
many  die  in  their  shells.  Out  of  450 
eggs  77  tested  out  not  fertile  or  dead 
germs,  and  out  of  373  remaining  eggs, 
only  182  hatched.  We  are  hatching 
White  Leghorns.  Can  you  tell  us 
what  to  do,  or  what  the  matter  is? 
We  have  been  following  your  advice 
in  many  things. 

Do  you  think  that  slamming  of 
doors  or  jarring  is  bad  for  incubators 
when  hatching? — Mrs.  M.  F.  De  W. 

Answer — I  think  the  fault  in  your 
incubator  is  that  it  has  not  sufficient 
ventilation.  An  insufficiency  of  oxy- 
gen will  cause  poor  hatches  such  as 
you  describe.  With  the  care  you  give 
your  fowls  and  their  being  two  years 
old,  the  fault  does  not  lie  in  the  par- 
ent bird  or  their  eggs,  therefore  it 
certaintly  comes  from  a  faulty  incu- 
bator. In  the  future,  air  the  eggs 
three  times  a  day;  fan  out  the  stale 
air  of  the  incubator  each  time  you  air 
the  eggs,  and  if  you  find  they  are  dry- 
ing out  too  much,  sprinkle  them,  af- 
ter the  first  week,  twice  a  week  with 
warm  water  .  Slamming  the  door  or 
jarring  the  incubator  during  incuba- 
tion is  not  advisable,  but  on  the  day 
of  hatching  it  would  not  injure  them. 


Infertility — Will  you  kindly  tell  me 
what  to  do  to  make  eggs  more  fer- 
tile? I  have  a  fine  pen  of  Colum- 
bian Wyandottes,  eight  pullets  mated 
with  a  cock  two  years  old.  They  are 
fed  on  dry  mash  of  bran,  ground  bar- 
ley, corn  meal,  alfalfa  meal  and  beef 
scrap  with  plenty  of  grit,  shell,  char- 
coal and  ground  bone  before  them  all 
the  time,  and  are  running  in  a  -corral 
of  grass  and  clover;  they  have  plenty 
of  fresh  water  and  the  hens  lay  well. 
What  chicks  I  do  get  are  strong  and 
healthy;  out  of  fifteen  eggs  only  two 
were  fertile. 

I  have  another  pen,  four  hens,  two 
years  old,  mated  with  a  cockerel  one 
year  old.  Fed  the  same  in  every  way; 


their  shells  are  smooth  but  full  of 
clear  spots.  What  shall  I  feed  to 
make  shells  better?— Mrs.  E.  H.  G. 
Answer — The  usual  requirements 
missing  from  the  food  when  eggs  are 
infertile  are  green  food  and  animal 
food,  therefore,  I  would  advise  you  to 
feed  more  green  food,  more  animal 
food  and  a  great  deal  less  barley  and 
corn  meal.  Wyandottes  are  apt  to 
get  too  fat  to  have  good  fertility  un- 
less they  have  plenty  of  exercise. 
From  your  account,  I  think  neither 
pen  has  sufficient  exercise  and  the 
four  old  hens  require  more  lime.  Mix 
some  fresh  quick  lime  in  water  to  the 
consistency  of  pancake  batter;  let  it 
stand  24  hours,  then  pour  out  a  cake 
of  it  on  the  ground.  It  will  socn  dry, 
and  by  crumbling  a  little  of  it  every 
day,  the  hens  will  pick  it  up.  Add  a 
teaspoonful  of  baking  soda  to  a  quart 
of  their  drinking  water  and  keep  this 
before  them  for  a  week.  By  this 
means  I  think  your  egg  shells  will 
improve. 


Airing  Eggs  in  Incubator — You 
have  stated  that  you  aired  your  eggs 
about  one  hour  daily.  Would  that 
have  a  tendency  to  make  your  hatch 
come  off  late,  or  did  you  run  the  ma- 
chine higher  to  offset  the  cooling? 
Did  you  start  in  from  the  first  week 
to  air  that  length  of  time,  or  was 
it  gradual?  If  I  aired  them  longer 
without  chilling,  could  I  get  them 
out  in  time,  or  does  airing  make  them 
late?  The  chicks  that  come  out  were 
very  wet;  some  of  them  stuck  in  the 
shell;  the  stuff  drying  down  and  glue- 
ing them  in. — Mrs.  N.  A.  R. 

Answer — After  the  eggs  have  been 
in  the  incubator  48  hours,  I  com- 
mence airing  them  about  five  min- 
utes twice  a  day,  gradually  increasing 
the  time  two  minutes  each  time.  By 
the  third  week  I  am  airing  them  20 
minutes  twice  a  day,  or  if  the  incu- 
bator is  a  hot-water  machine,  I  air 
them  three  times  a  day  in  a  room 
that  is  not  lower  than  70  to  75  de- 
grees, because  I  do  not  want  to  chill 
the  eggs.  If  they  are  too  much 
chilled  or  cooled  off,  they  are  apt  to 
be  weakly,  the  hatch  retarded,  and 
the  chickens  have  difficulty  in  coming 
out  of  the  shell,  such  as  you  describe. 
Evidently  you  have  either  cooled  the 
eggs  too  much  or  you  have  run  the 


HATCHING  WITH  INCUBATOR  AND  HEN 


177 


incubator  at  too  low  a  temperature. 
We  want  to  give  the  eggs  as  much 
oxygen  (fresh  air)  as  possible  without 
chilling  them. 


Cripples — Some  of  my  incubator 
chickens  are  almost  cripples  when 
they  are  taken  from  the  incubator. 
Some  have  crippled,  crooked  and 
crumpled  up  toes,  others  have  one 
leg  too  short,  or  turned  out  the  wrong 
way,  and  some  of  them  are  not  able 
to  stand  up — they  hold  their  head 
back  so  far  that  they  fall  backward. 
—A.  H.  S. 

Answer — The  cause  of  cripples  in- 
variably is  irregularity  of  tempera- 
ture in  the  incubator.  Your  incuba- 
tor has  been  too  hot  at  some  period, 
probably  the  last  week;  this  causes 
cripples.  Those  that  hold  their  heads 
back  do  so  from  the  eggs  not  having 
been  turned  sufficiently  during  incu- 
bation. 

As  you  do  not  mention  the  name 
of  the  incubator,  I  cannot  tell  you 
just  where  the  lack  is.  It  may  be 
poor  oil;  it  may  be  it  is  run  in  a 
draught  and  it  may  lack  ventilation. 


Lack  Oxygen — I  took  200  thrifty 
chicks  from  the  incubator  about  eight 
weeks  ago.  They  did  very  well  for 
about  two  weeks,  when  they  began  to 
die  and  today  I  have  50  left,  and  these 
look  too  scrubby  to  be  worth  raising. 
I  have  given  them  extra  attention  and 
the  best  feed.  They  get  pale  around 
the  head,  grow  weak  and  are  skin 
and  bone  when  they  die.  I  think 
they  have  consumption.  The  brooder 
is  a  tight  box  and  no  ventilation,  ex- 
cept the  lid  has  a  round  hole  about 
as  large  as  a  teacup,  and  the  little 
entrance  window  about  six  inches 
square.  An  iron  pipe  running  through 
is  the  heating  arrangement.  Inside 
the  box,  to  fit  close  over  the  pipe, 
is  a  cap  of  wood  with  flannel  curtains 
dropping  to  the  floor  under  which  the 
chicks  hover.  Don't  you  think  this 
is  too  close  a  place?  The  outside 
box  is  only  6  inches  deep,  then  they 
hover  inside;  this  only  gives  4  inches 
space  for  the  chicks.  Please  tell  me 
if  you  think  the  lid  to  brooder  would 
be  better  of  wire  or  where  do  you 
think  the  trouble  is?  Also  tell  me 
how  granulated  milk  is  prepared.  We 
have  lately  begun  feeding  to  every- 
thing in  the  poultry  yard,  beef  scraps, 
bone  meal  and  linseed  meal  in  what 


we  think  proper  proportions  once  a 
day.  Should  chicks  only  eight  weeks 
old  be  fed  this  ration  the  same  as 
hens?  What  causes  eggs  to  be  ridgy 
and  uneven?  Can  one  feed  to  produce 
larger  eggs?  Our  hens  are  large,  but 
lay  small  eggs — Mrs.  J.  B.  S. 

Answer — I  think  that  the  lack  of 
oxygen  in  your  brooder  is  the  only 
difficulty  with  your  chicks.  Still  I 
am  very  much  afraid  that  tuberculosis 
may  have  got  in,  and  infected  the 
brooder.  If  possible,  move  your 
chicks  into  a  weaning  house,  open  en- 
tirely on  one  side  (or  only  closed 
with  chicken  wire).  Make  a  little 
frame  of  gunny-sacking  or  out  of  a 
piece  of  blanket  that  they  can  go  un- 
der. This  will  rest  upon  their  backs 
to  keep  them  warm.  Give  them  no 
other  heat.  At  this  season  of  the 
year  (August)  eight  weeks  old  chicks 
should  have  no  heat  whatever,  at 
night.  I  think  you  are  keeping  your 
chickens  too  warm,  without  enough 
fresh  air  and  possibly  they  may  have 
mites  or  lice.  Air  their  sleeping 
place  well;  put  the  hover  out  into  the 
sunshine  every  day.  This  will  kill 
the  germs  of  tuberculosis  better  than 
anything. 

Granulated  milk  is  made  at  Bing- 
hampton,  N.  Y.  I  do  not  know  the 
process. 

Chicks  eight  weeks  old  can  have 
the  beef-scraps,  bone  meal  and  lin- 
seed meal  in  the  same  proportions  as 
hens. 

Uneven  eggs  are  caused  either  from 
defect  in  the  oviduct  or  from  an  in- 
sufficiency of  lime  or  hurried  laying. 

Some  strains  of  hens  lay  small  eggs 
and  over-fat  hens  will  lay  small  eggs. 
More  protein  added  to  their  food  will 
often  increase  the  size  of  the  eggs: 
By  choosing  the  large  eggs  for  hatch- 
ing, you  can  increase  the  size  of  the 
eggs  in  the  next  generation. 


Setting  Hens— Can  you  tell  me 
what  is  the  matter  with  my  chickens? 
They  seem  good  and  healthy  until 
they  start  to  set,  then  they  invariably 
develop  a  severe  case  of  diarrhoea, 
which  causes  them  to  leave  their  eggs 
after  a  few  days.  I  have  now  a  hen 
that  wants  to  set,  and  have  just  re- 
ceived a  setting  of  thoroughbred  eggs., 
but  today  I  noticed  the  same  trouble 
as  with  the  others,  except  that  she 
seems  to  be  a  great  deal  worse,  for 
her  droppings  are  of  a  bloody  na- 


178 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


ture.  Can  it  be  from  too  much  blue- 
stone  in  their  water  or  because  of  too 
much  egg-food?  I  feed  them  a  mixed 
food  from  the  feed  yard,  consisting 
of  corn,  wheat,  Kaffir  corn,  beef 
scraps,  bone,  charcoal,  oyster  shell, 
barley  and  some  other  grains  I  can- 
not classify.  They  get  this  twice  a 
day  together  with  all  the  table  scrap 
and  all  the  grass  they  can  eat.  They 
also  have  plenty  of  exercise.  Is  there 
anything  I  can  do  for  this  particular 
hen?  Shall  I  try  to  set  her  or  get 
some  other  hen  for  the  eggs?  Still 
another  question,  what  causes  a  milky, 
watery  substance  in  the  whites  of  the 
eggs;  it  runs  out  after  the  eggs  have 
been  cooked?— G.  W.  Y. 

Answer — It  is  the  bluestone  in  the 
water  that  thoroughly  disagrees  with, 
or  poisons  the  setting  hens.  Feed  a 
setting  hen  only  grains,  wheat  and 
corn  mixed,  and  give  her  fresh  water 
to  drink  without  any  medicine  in  it. 
You  should  not  be  giving  your  hens 
bluestone  at  this  season  of  the  year 
at  all.  They  do  not  need  it,  and  it 
will  injure  the  fertility  of  the  eggs 
and  make  the  chicks  hatching  out 
weakly.  Do  not  set  the  hen  you  men- 
tioned, as  in  all  probability  she  will 
leave  the  eggs.  All  setting  hens 
should  be  in  perfect  health  and  entire- 
ly free  from  lice  or  mites.  You  had 
better  get  another  hen  for  those  eggs. 

The  milkiness  in  the  whites  of  your 
eggs  is  an  indication  that  they  are 
perfectly  fresh,  that  is,  new  layed,  and 
is  a  great  recommendation  for  the 
quality  of  your  eggs. 


Chicks  Dying  in  Shell — A  large  per 
cent  of  my  chicks,  fully  developed,  die 
the  day  they  are  due  to  hatch,  even 
after  pipping  the  shell.  They  seem 
to  dry  in  the  shell. — Mrs  D.  D. 

Answer — Float  the  eggs  in  warm 
water.  That  will  help  the  chicks  to 
break  through  the  shell  better  than 
anything  I  know  of.  Next  time  try 
sprinkling  the  eggs  after  the  eighth 
day  twice  a  week  with  warm  water. 
I  think  you  will  find  it  is  what  is 
needed  in  your  dry  climate,  and  is 
likely  to  help  matters. 


Answer — If  your  hen  has  been  sit- 
ting for  a  week  or  ten  day,  she  will 
"take  to"  the  chicks  as  well  as  though 
she  had  hatched  them  herself;  espe- 
cially if  she  is  a  Plymouth  Rock  or 
Buff  Orpington.  Those  two  breeds 
have  a  greater  affection  for  chickens 
than  some  of  the  others.  Be  sure 
that  the  hen  is  entirely  clear  of  lice, 
and  if  she  is  a  large  hen,  put  from  15 
to  18  under  her  at  night;  a  smaller 
hen  should  have  from  12  to  15,  not 
more,  if  you  expect  the  chickens  to  do 
well.  I  have  trained  capons  to  act  as 
mothers;  they  do  even  better  than 
the  hens. 


Thermometer— Will  you  kindly  tell 
me  where  I  could  get  tested  thermom- 
eter for  incubator;  also  where  I  could 
have  one  tested  which  I  already  have? 
— H.  H.  C. 

Answer — At  any  good  drug  store 
you  can  have  your  thermometer  test- 
ed. If  you  want  to  buy  a  new  one, 
go  to  the  agent  selling  your  make 
of  incubator.  Take  the  new  one  also 
to  the  druggist  and  have  him  test  it 
thoroughly,  because  the  thermom- 
eters, as  they  are  seasoned  some- 
times vary  some  degrees,  and  even  a 
new  one  cannot  be  trusted. 


Fooling  the  Hen — Is  it  possible  to 
fool  a  setting  hen  into  caring  for  some 
incubator  chickens  when  she  has  not 
hatched  them  herself — Mrs.  C.  R. 


Helping  Them  Hatch— I  find  my 
White  Plymouth  Rock  eggs  are  very 
slow  about  hatching  and  some  I  know 
would  die  in  the  shell  if  I  had  not 
dropped  a  few  drops  of  lukewarm  wa- 
ter on  their  heads,  as  it  seemed  they 
would  get  about  half  out  and  then  the 
white  skin  would  dry  on  their  heads 
and  hold  them  fast.  After  having  two 
die  in  the  shell,  I  found  they  would 
free  themselves  if  a  few  drops  of 
warm  water  were  sprinkled  on  !hem. 
I  kept  moisture  in  the  pans  all  three 
days  and  part  of  the  fourth  and  they 
are  still  slowly  hatching.  This  is  the 
twenty-third  day.  Do  you  think  I 
should  keep  the  moisture  pan  full  for 
a  week — I  mean  the  last  week  of  in- 
cubation? Please  send  me  an  ;dea  on 
chick  feed,  as  I  can  not  get  good  clean 
chick  feed  here.— Mrs  P.  W.  B. 

Answer — If  you  had  only  men- 
tioned the  name  of  the  incubator  you 
are  using,  I  could  have  better  diag- 
nosed your  case.  As  it  is,  all  I  can 
say  to  you  is  to  follow  the  rules  and 
directions  they  give  you  as  closely 
as  possible.  With  some  machines  it 


HATCHING  WITH  INCUBATOR  AND  HEN 


179 


is  very  advisable  to  sprinkle  the  eggs 
twice  a  week  after  the  twelfth  day 
with  warm  water;  this  seems  to  make 
the  shells  more  brittle  and  prevents 
the  inner '  lining  skin  from  toughen- 
ing. I  have  found  this  better  than 
keeping  much  moisture  in  the  ma- 
chine. The  moisture  in  the  machine, 
seems  to  make  the  chick  grow,  but 
does  not  make  the  shell  brittle.  Your 
Plymouth  Rock  eggs  should  hatch 
promptly  on  the  21st  day.  The  de- 
layed incubation  indicates  that  part  of 
the  time  the  temperature  has  been  too 
low.  Are  you  sure  that  your  ther- 
mometer is  perfectly  correct;  have 
you  had  it.  tested?  On  the  efficiency 
of  the  thermometer  much  depends. 
Many  thermometers  that  are  accurate 
at  first  become,  through  the  use  of 
unseasoned  glass  in  their  manufac- 
ture, absolutely  incorrect  after  a  few 
months'  use.  Others  are  really  only 
within  two  to  four  degrees  of  being 
correct,  therefore,  be  sure  you  have 
your  thermometer  tested.  About  the 
chicken  feed,  write  to  the  Experiment 
Station,  University  of  California,  Ber1 
keley,  for  bulletin  164  on  poultry  feed- 
ing. This  gives  you  the  lists  of  foods 
available  in  your  part  of  the  country, 
with  the  proper  proportions  for  mix- 
ing them,  see  page  36. 

Eggs  for  Hatching — Will  you  kind- 
ly tell  me  what  is  the  matter  with  my 
eggs?  They  will  not  hatch  well.  Our 
hens  are  Brown  Leghorns  and  Rhode 
Island  Reds.  I  only  got  fifteen  chick- 
ens in  my  last  batch.  When  we  break 
the  eggs  after  we  know  they  will  not 
hatch  we  find  the  chicks  dead,  but 
fully  formed  and  just  ready  to  hatch. 
Perhaps  the  shells  are  too  hard.  Will 
you  please  tell  me  what  to  do  to 
make  a  softer  shell?  Feed  according 
to  your  directions. 

Is  it  necessary  to  put  moisture  in 
the  incubator?  Does  it  hurt  the  eggs 
to  sprinkle  them  with  warm  water  if 
we  think  the  shells  are  too  hard?  I 
will  be  very  thankful  if  you  will  an- 
swer this,  as  I  want  to  know  before 
I  commence  to  save  eggs  for  next  in- 
cubator lot.  I  do  not  keep  them  over 
two  weeks  and  keep  them  in  a  cool, 
dark  place,  turning  them  every  day. — 
Mrs.  G.  A.  M. 

Answer — I  wish  I  could  tell  you 
for  certain  what  causes  chickens  to 
die  in  the  shell.  I  have  my  theories 
about  it,  and  I  believe  it  comes  from 


the  eggs  not  being  aired  and  cooled 
sufficiently.  Cooling  them  and  then 
warming  them  up  again  seems  to 
make  the  shells  m6re  brittle,  and  this 
is  the  same  under  hens.  If  I  notice 
that  a  hen  is  setting  too  closely,  I 
take  her  off  twice  a  day  to  cool  the 
eggs.  With  an  incubator  I  would  air 
them  and  turn  them  three  times  a  day, 
and  either  sprinkle  them  three  times 
during  the  last  ten  days  or  float  them 
in  warm  water  two  days  before  the 
hatch  is  due.  Float  them  from  three 
to  five  minutes,  and  then  put  them 
back  into  the  tray  while  they  are  wet. 
I  do  not  believe  in  putting  moisture 
into  the  incubator  unless  the  direc- 
tions call  for  it. 


Incubator  Chicks  Dying  Off— We 
have  started  in  with  the  R.  I.  Reds, 
and  have  been  fairly  successful  until 
our  last  hatch.  Out  of  65  eggs  44 
came  out.  Last  Saturday  they  com- 
menced dying  off,  just  fell  seemingly 
from  weakness  and  died  soon  after. 
We  have  fed  them  chick  feed,  bran, 
Indian  meal,  cayenne  pepper,  beef 
scraps,  twice  per  day,  and  a  little 
germazone  in  water  occasionally. — 
C.  R.  H. 

Answer — From  your  description  I 
am  afraid  that  the  chickens  have 
either  been  chilled  or  may  have  been 
over-heated.  Either  one  of  these 
conditions  will  cause  the  symptoms 
you  describe.  All  you  can  do  now  is 
to  give  them  rice  boiled  in  milk,  add- 
ing a  tablespoonful  of  ground  cinna- 
mon to  each  pint.  Give  them  also 
chopped  lettuce  and  onions.  Do  not 
give  any  cornmeal  or  beef  scraps. 
When  chicks  have  been  over-heated 
either  in  the  incubator  or  brooder,  it 
so  weakens  their  bowels  that  they 
cannot  digest  their  food  and  they  die 
of  starvation. 


Poor  Hatching — I  should  like  very 
much  if  you  can  give  me  some  infor- 
mation about  my  hatching  eggs  in  an 
incubator.  I  bought  a  new  incubator 
this  spring.  I  have  set  it  twice  and 
had  the  same  results  both  times.  The 
chicks  form  fully  and  then  most  of 
them  die  in  the  shell.  As  the  same 
eggs  do  fine  when  put  under  a  hen.  I 
think  it  must  be  that  I  make  some 
mistake  in  my  treatment  of  the  in- 
cubator. I  have  as  nearly  as  possible 
followed  the  instructions  that  came 


180 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


with  it.  If  you  can  give  me  any  as- 
sistance, it  will  be  appreciated  very 
much.— Mrs.  W.  D.  W. 

Answer — Your  incubator  is  a  good 
one.  Its  fault,  for  they  all  have  some 
little  fault,  is  that  the  ventilation  is 
insufficient.  Take  the  eggs  out  and  air 
them  after  the  first  week  three  times 
a  day.  This  will  counteract  the  lack 
of  ventilation.  This  cooling  and  then 
heating  up  again  of  the  eggs  makes 
the  shell  more  brittle,  so  that  the 
chick  is  able  to  break  its  way  out 
much  more  easily.  Another  thing  I 
found  in  using  that  incubator  is  that 
by  taking  the  middle  eggs  out  of  the 
row,  one  in  each  hand,  and  putting 
them  at  the  end  of  the  row,  and  then 
pushing  the  others  along  into  the 
vacant  places,  I  got  a  ten  per  cent 
better  hatch.  I  got  the  idea  from 
Egypt.  Of  course,  you  must  be  sure 
the  machine  stands  level  and  that  the 
thermometer  is  correct. 

Trouble  with  Incubators — I  want  to 
ask  your  advice  about  our  incubator. 
We  bought  it  new  in  January.  Out 
of  200  fertile  eggs  we  got  75  chickens, 
and  all  but  nine  died  before  they  were 
10  days  old.  We  thought  it  was  the 
fault  of  the  brooder.  There  were 
many  cripples  among  them,  but  they, 
all  died  of  bowel  trouble.  On  April 
30th  we  hatched  117  out  of  150  fer- 
tile eggs,  and  gave  the  chicks  to  old 
hens,  as  we  had  laid  our  previous 
trouble  to  the  brooder.  But  now  the 
last  are  going  the  same  way.  Chicks 
hatched  under  hens  at  the  same  time 
are  healthy  and  strong.  We  have 
only  lost  one  so  far.  We  feed  pre- 
pared chick  feed  and  take  the  best 
of  care  of  the  chicks.  The  incubator 
runs  perfectly,  always  103,  until  the 
chicks  begin  to  work  out  of  the  shell, 
when  it  runs  up  to  104  and  105.  We 
have  set  the  incubator  again.  It  will 
hatch  May  29th.  We  do  not  intend 
to  give  up. — W.  S.  R. 

Answer — The  trouble  is  in  the  in- 
cubation. At  some  time  or  other  the 
heat  has  been  too  great.  This  is 
shown  by  there  being  cripples.  I 
know  it,  because  I  have  had  the  same 
experience  several  times  myself.  Once 
a  hat  was  thrown  on  the  machine; 
just  touched  the  regulator;  was  only 
on  for  half  a  day.  Another  time  a 
newspaper  did  the  same  thing.  My 
big  cat  slept  on  the  incubator  another 
night  and  lost  me  the  hatch.  Each 


of  the  times  I  worked  with  the  little 
chicks,  giving  them  everything  I  could 
think  of,  but  without  saving  them. 
Now,  I  think  there  is  a  possibility 
that  your  incubator  does  not  stand 
level  and  that,  therefore,  one  side  or 
corner  of  the  machine  is  a  very  little 
higher  than  the  other.  That  side  or 
corner  would  be  hotter  than  the  other 
side  without  it  affecting  the  ther- 
mometer and  would  cause  all  or  most 
of  the  trouble.  Again,  are  you  sure 
the  thermometer  is  correct?  Borrow 
the  doctor's  clinical  thermometer. 
This  is  what  I  did  and  put  them  both 
into  a  bucket  containing  about  two 
quarts  of  water  at  103  degrees  and 
compared  the  two.  You  do  not  men- 
tion if  the  hatch  came  out  on  time. 
I  feel  sure  that  the  eggs  have  been 
overheated,  or  part  of  them  have,  and 
in  this  way  the  bowels  of  the  chick- 
ens have  been  weakened,  the  yolk  of 
the  egg  has  not  been  digested  and 
they  have  dwindled  and  died,  or 
bowel  trouble  has  come  on  from  the 
undigested  yolk  putrifying  inside  of 
them.  I  have  made  so  many  post 
mortem  examinations  that  I  feel  sure 
of  what  I  am  telling  you.  Examine 
your  incubator  with  a  spirit  level  to 
see  that  it  is  level.  Test  your  ther- 
mometer and  then  try  again,  at  the 
same  time  setting  one  or  two  hens, 
and  as  incubation  proceeds  examine 
the  eggs,  comparing  them.  I  think 
you  will  find  that  the  eggs  under  the 
hen  dry  out  less  quickly  than  those 
in  the  incubator.  However,  if  this  is 
not  the  case,  if  your  incubator  eggs 
dry  out  too  quickly  (the  air  space  be- 
ing larger  than  that  under  the  hens), 
you  will  have  to  regulate  this  by; 
the  ventilators  of  the  incubator.' 
Keep  them  closed.  As  yours  is  a 
hot-air  incubator,  there  is  no  need  of 
fanning  out  the  stale  air.  The  fault, 
if  any,  with  your  incubator  is  too 
rapid  a  circulation  of  air,  thereby  dry- 
ing the  eggs  out  too  soon.  I  think 
you  had  better  run  it  half  a  degree 
cooler  than  you  have  been  doing.  I 
say  this  because  the  cripples  and 
bowel  troubles  denote  too  high  a  tem- 
perature. I  hope  these  hints  may 
help  you.  Let  me  hear  from  you 
again  if  you  have  any  more  trouble. 


Willing  to  Learn — I  am  thinking 
of  starting  in  the  poultry  business  and 
would  like  to  ask  a  few  questions.  Are 
incubators  a  success?  Why  is  it  nee- 


HATCHING  WITH  INCUBATOR  AND  HEN 


181 


essary  to  test  the  eggs?  Is  it  best  to 
put  young  chickens  in  a  brooder  or  to 
give  them  to  a  hen?  Why  could  one 
not  put  eggs  in  the  incubator  as  they 
are  layed,  say  two  or  three  a  day  and 
take  the  chickens  out  as  they  hatch? 
-F.  L. 

Answer — Incubators  are  a  success 
if  you  get  a  good  standard  make. 
Find  out  what  your  neighbors  are 
using  successfully.  It  •  is  necessary 
to  test  the  eggs  to  take  out  the  in- 
fertile ones  and  use  them  for-  eating 
or  cooking  so  as  not  to  waste  them, 
also  the  infertile  egg,  not  having  life 
in  it,  is  cold  and  chills  the  neighbor 
egg  which  has  life  in  it. 

If  you  use  an  incubator,  it  is  neces- 
sary to  have  a  brooder,  as  you  will 
hatch  too  many  chickens  to  go  under 
a  hen. 

It  is  not  best  to  put  eggs  into  the 
incubator  as  they  are  layed,  because 
for  the  last  two  days  of  incubation  the 
incubator  should  remain  closed,  also 
for  the  first  two  days — and  between 
those  periods  the  eggs  have  to  be 
moved,  turned,  and  taken  out  of  the 
incubator  and  cooled,  consequently  it 
is  best  to  save  the  eggs  until  you 
have  enough  either  to  put  under  the 
hen  or  fill  the  incubator. 


Incubator— (Mrs.  O.  B.  J.,  Los  An- 
geles)— Will  you  please  tell  me  if  you 
have  ever  used  the  Cycle  Incubator, 
how  you  like  it  and  is  there  any  place 
where  I  could  buy  one  in  Los  An- 

feles?     I  have  inquired,  but  can  not 
nd  out,  and  as  you  answer  questions, 
I  hope  you  will  reply  to  me  as  soon  as 
possible. 

Answer — Personally  I  have  not 
used  the  incubator,  but  I  have  known 
of  it  very  favorably  for  some  years. 
And  I  have  heard  that  one  of  the 
most  prominent  business  men  in  Los 
Angeles  has  just  bought  a  large  num- 
ber to  supply  his  broiler  plant. 

It  is  a  charming  little  thing,  about 
the  size  of  a  dishpan,  easily  carried 
around  and  could  be  operated  very 
easily  in  any  living  room.  It  is  ex- 
tremely simple  and  easily  operated. 
Holds  fifty  eggs,  is  heated  with  a 
lamp  which  only  needs  filling  once  for 
a  whole  hatch. 

I  think  there  is  an  agency  for  it  in 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce  Building. 
There  were  some  of  these  incubators 
at  the  poultry  show.  The  incubator 
has  also  a  brooder  attachment  and 


can  be  used  as  a  very  efficient  brooder 
at  the  bottom  while  another  setting 
of  fifty  eggs  is  being  incubated  above. 
From  what  I  hav'e  heard  from  others, 
[  think  it  well  adapted  for  a  small 
place  or  for  any  one  who  does  not 
want  to  keep  eggs  for  hatching  until 
a  large  number  can  be  collected.  It  is 
called  "Cycle"  from  its  being  round. 

Natural  Incubation— I  am  a  reader 
of  your  articles  and  get  much  good 
from  them.  Am  a  beginner  and  have 
a  great  deal  to  learn.  Will  you  kindly 
answer  the  following  questions: 

1.  Should    a    setting    hen    be    shut 
on  the  nest  and  be  let  off  each  day? 
If  so,  how  long  should  she  be  allowed 
to  stay  off  the  nest? 

2.  Do  the  eggs  get  enough   mois- 
ture in  natural  incubation? 

3.  Is  it  good  to  sprinkle  the  eggs 
with    water?      If   so,    how    often    and 
in   what   stages   of  incubation   should 
this  be  done? 

4.  How  long  should  chick  feed  be 
fed  to  chicks,  and  what  is  best  after 
discontinuing  this  food? — R.  M. 

Answer — It  is  best  not  to  shut  a  hen 
on  the  nest,  but  to  allow  her  to  get 
on  and  off  as  she  pleases  unless  there 
are  other  hens  that  can  get  to  the 
nest  to  disturb  her.  It  is  a  good 
plan  to  take  the  hen  off  the  nest  at 
a  regular  hour  every  day.  I  prefer 
about  five  o'clock  in  the  evening,  as 
then  she  will  go  back  before  supper 
time.  A  hen  can  be  off  the  nest  in 
pleasant  weather  from  twenty  min- 
utes to  half  an  hour.  She  should  be 
allowed  to  stay  off  long  enough  to 
eat  all  she  wants  and  to  dust  herself. 
It  is  necessary  for  her  to  come  off 
at  least  once  every  twenty-four  hours. 

2.  Eggs  usually  get  moisture 
enough  from  the  perspiration  of  the 
hen.  I  like  to  float  the  eggs  in  warm 
water  two  days  before  the  hatch 
comes  off.  I  think  it  helps  the  eggs 
to  hatch  well  and  it  also  shows,  by 
the  eggs  bobbing  about  on  the  water 
which  eggs  have  live  chicks  in  them. 

4.  Chick  feed  should  be  fed  about 
six  weeks,  but  it  is  best  to  begin 
when  the  chicks  are  three  or  four 
weeks  old  to  add  wheat  and  Kaffir 
corn  to  the  chick  food  and  make  the 
change  gradual.  Commence  by  one- 
fourth  of  the  larger  grains  and  three- 
fourths  of  chick  feed.  Then  gradu- 
ally increase  the  Kaffir  corn  and 
wheat  until  that  is  the  principal  feed. 


182 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


Brooder  Chicks — I  shall  have  to 
come  to  you  for  help  about  my  little 
chickens,  as  I  know  that  you  know 
what  to  do. 

I  am  only  a  beginner.  I  have  an 
incubator  and  hot  water  brooder,  and 
before  I  bought  your  book  I  could  not 
make  them  hatch,  but  now,  with  its 
help,  following  your  directions,  I  have 
a  fine  hatch.  I  turned  and  aired  the 
eggs  as  you  said.  Now  my  chicks 
(White  Leghorns)  are  two  weeks  old 
and  I  have  lowered  the  temperature 
in  the  brooder  about  one  degree  a 
day;  but  about  every  other  day  one 
will  die.  I  have  thirty-two  in  the 
brooder,  so  they  are  not  crowded  at 
all.  I  have  put  insect  powder  on  them 
and  they  are  fed  chick  food;  they  have 
plenty  of  fresh  water  in  a  fountain, 
which  I  keep  in  their  yard.  I  make 
them  work  in  alfalfa  for  their  feed,  as 
you  instructed.  They  are  not  stuck 
up  behind,  as  far  as  I  can  tell,  but 
when  one  is  about  to  die,  it  goes  up 
into  a  corner  of  the  brooder  under 
the  pipe. 

If  you  will  give  me  advice  about 
what  to  do,  I  shall  be  very  much  ob- 
liged, as  I  am  afraid  I  shall  lose  them 
all._N.  H.  H. 

Answer. — I  am  glad  you  had  a  good 
hatch.  The  fault  with  that  incubator 
is  lack  of  ventilation,  and  of  the 
brooder  is  that  there  is  a  draught  on 
the  floor,  so  that  the  chicks'  feet  are 
cold.  I  tried  a  good  many  plans  with 
that  brooder,  and  finally  I  built  them 
over.  However,  the  best  plan  before 
I  changed  them  I  found  was  to  put 
on  the  floor  a  gunny  sack  or  bit  of 
warm  old  carpet,  and  on  that  put  near- 
ly two  inches  of  chaff  or  finely  cut 
straw  or  hay.  I  also  left  the  lid  a  lit- 
tle bit  open.  Before  that  the  chicks' 
heads  got  too  hot  on  the  pipes  and 
their  little  feet  too  cold. 

I  am  rather  surprised  that  they  have 
not  been  troubled  with  diarrhoea. 

Faulty  Incubation — I  am  a  begin- 
ner in  the  poultry  business  and  would 
like  to  ask  you  a  few  questions  that 
have' been  troubling  me: 

1.  I    have   been   hatching   chickens 
and    ducks   in   an   incubator   and   they 
don't  hatch  as  well  as  with  a  hen.     I 
find  quite  a  number  dead  in  the  shells. 
I    do    not    understand    it    as    I    follow 
the  directions  that  come  with  the  ma- 
chine. 

2.  A   number   of  the   chicks   "walk 
around    on    their    knees."      Some    ot 


their  legs  stick  straight  up  and  they 
flop  along  on  the  joint  with  the  aid 
of  their  wings.  They  soon  die.  Why 
is  this?  Is  there  any  way  to  avoid  it? 
3.  I  had  twenty  ducks  hatch  with 
hens  and  have  only  eleven  left.  We 
first  notice  them  to  lag  behind  the 
rest,  then  as  they  grow  more  stupid 
they  fall  over  with  their  heads  thrown 
back  as  people  do  when  they  have 
spinal  meningitis.  Can  you  tell  by 
this  description  what  was  the  matter 
with  them? — L.  B.,.  Corcoran. 

Answer — The  trouble  is  that,  the 
heat  has  been  irregular  in  your  incu- 
bator, and  probably  the  eggs  have 
not  been  aired  sufficiently. 

2.  Cripples,   such   as   you   describe, 
invariably    come    from    over    heating, 
especially  the  last  ten  days  in  the  in- 
cubator.     It   may    be   only   for   a   few 
hours.     It  is  such  a  pity,  for  it  always, 
seems    to    be    the    biggest    and    best 
chicks.      I    have    once    or    twice    suc- 
ceeded  in   straightening   out   the   legs 
and  setting  the  knee,  fastening  it  with 
a  rubber. 

3.  The    trouble    with    the    ducks    is 
severe    indigestion.      It    may    be    they 
have    not    had    sand    enough    in    their 
food,  or  they  have  eaten  some  animal 
food  that   was  not  fresh — was   decay- 
ing.      Lack    of    shade    will    give    the 
same  symptoms.     The  drinking  vessel 
must  be  deep  enough  for  them  to  get 
their  entire  bill  under  water,  for  they 
require    to    rinse    their    nostrils    many 
times  a  day  and  will  die  if  they  can- 
not. 

Brooders — (Mrs.  S.M.G.) — I  would 
like  to  tell  you  about  the  brooders  I 
made  from  your  description  of  them. 
I  have  used  the  Fireless  Brooder  for 
five  months  and  have  had  no  trouble 
in  .  getting  the  chicks  to  go  inside 
when  they  are  cold.  When  I  first  put 
fifty  chicks  into  the  Fireless,  the 
weather  was  cold  and  at  first  I  found, 
like  others,  that  the  little  fellows  did 
not  know  where  to  go  when  they  felt 
cold,  so  on  the  third  day  I  put  a  gallon 
jug  of  hot  water  in  the  center  of  the 
brooder,  covering  the  jug  with  a  hood 
made  of  several  layers  of  newspaper. 
I  took  two  or  three  chicks  and  held 
them  against  the  jug  until  their  happy 
chirping  brought  all  the  others;  after 
that  I  had  no  trouble.  They  no  longer 
needed  to  be  shown.  I  removed  the 
jug  at  night  and  put  it  back  in  the 
morning  for  a  few  days,  filling  it  with 


YARD   ROOM 


183 


less  warm  water  each  morning.  Dur- 
ing the  summer  months  I  did  not  find 
it  necessary  to  put  any  attraction  in 
the  brooders  as  the  chicks  seemed 
warm  enough  from  the  first  to  spend 
the  entire  day  in  the  sun. 


This  account  from  Mrs.  G.  will  in- 
terest and  help  many  of  our  readers. 

The  brooders  are  those  made  by 
Mr.  Hammons  of  the  Mammoth  Pa- 
cific Poultry  Plant  at  Ingleside,  Cali- 
fornia. 


YARD  ROOM 


How  Many  Chickens  to  Keep  on  a 
City  Lot— Will  you  kindly  tell  me 
how  many  chickens  can  be  kept  on  a 
city  lot  seventy-five  by  a  hundred 
and  eighty  feet?  Do  you  think  chick- 
ens will  lay  well  during  the  rainy  sea- 
son in  Seattle,  Wash.,  if  they  are 
properly  fed  and  housed?  How  big 
a  house  do  we  need  for  fifty  chickens? 

Last  September  we  bought  thirty 
Plymouth  Rock  hens  and  thirty  pul- 
lets. We  got  from  ten  to  sixteen  eggs 
from  the  hens  per  day,  until  about  the 
middle  of  December,  when  they  began 
to  fall  off.  We  are  still  getting  that 
amount,  but  half  of  them  are  from  the 
pullets.  Do  you  think  they  are  doing 
as  well  as  we  could  expect? — Mrs. 
L.  E.  S. 

Answer — In  your  climate  it  would 
very  much  depend  upon  the  shelter 
from  the  rain  that  you  can  give  the 
chickens.  Fifty  chickens  should  be 
divided  into  two  pens  with  two 
houses.  Each  house  not  less  than  ten 
by  twelve  feet  in  size.  I  would  ad- 
vise a  good  scratching  pen  to  be  made 
either  adjoining  the  house  and  cov- 
ered with  a  roof,  or  else  make  the 
scratching  pen  to  extend  underneath 
the  dropping  boards.  You  might 
keep  several  hundred  hens  upon  land 
75  x  180  feet,  if  you  have  ample  house 
room  for  them  so  they  would  be  well 
sheltered  from  the  rain.  Hens  that 
are  wet  every  day  will  not  lay  well. 
Your  fowls  are  doing  well  consider- 
ing the  wet  weather  you  are  having. 


How  Many  on  Two  Acres — I  have 
two  acres  of  land,  of  which  I  will  have 
a  hundred  feet  by  one  hundred  feet 
for  an  alfalfa  patch,  the  rest  for 
chickens  to  run  around  and  have  the 
patch  for  them  to  feed  on  for  an  hour 
or  so  before  going  to  roost.  Kindly 
let  me  know  how  many  chickens  I 
can  raise  on  the  two  acres  at  the 
most.— M.  J.  P. 

Answer — I  think  you  can  keep  a 
thousand  chickens  on  your  two  acres. 


You  must  be  careful  not  to  have  more 
than  fifty  to  roost  in  one  house.  It 
is  the  crowded  condition  of  houses  at 
night  that  brings  trouble  and  disease. 
Be  sure  to  give  them  shade  during 
the  day  and  plenty  of  good  fresh  wa- 
ter, besides,  of  course,  the  balanced 
ration.  Allow  them  two  hours  a  day 
on  the  alfalfa  patch. 

Five  Acres— Will  you  kindly  tell  me 
how  many  White  Leghorns  I  can  suc- 
cessfully raise  on  five  acres  of  land? 
I  want  to  grow  alfalfa  and  some  vege- 
tables for  feed. 

Will  you  also  tell  me  if  I  can  hatch 
turkeys  in  an  incubator? — J.  W.  L. 

Answer — You  can  raise  a  large 
number  of  Leghorns  on  five  acres  of 
land.  I  know  one  party  that  has 
3,000  Leghorns  on  three  acres,  but 
it  entirely  depends  upon  knowing  how 
to  do  and,  doing  it  right.  Better  be- 
gin with  a  small  number  and  when 
you  succeed  with  those,  increase  your 
flock. 

Turkeys  can  be  hatched  in  an  in- 
cubator and  raised  in  a  brooder,  but 
must  be  kept  entirely  separate  from 
chickens  or  they  will  die. 


Yard  Room — I  want  to  raise  about 
60  pullets  for  next  winter.  I  have 
about  a  hundred  chicks  hatched  out. 
All  the  yard  room  I  can  spare  is  on  a 
town  lot  about  50x75  feet.  Do  you 
think  this  would  be  enough  room  for 
them?— Mrs.  J.  F.  Y. 

Answer — It  all  depends  upon  the 
care  you  give  them;  if  you  can  sup- 
ply them  with  shade,  plenty  of  green 
food,  clean  water  and  a  good  scratch- 
ing place  and  the  proper  food,  it  will 
be  plenty  large  enough.  Be  sure  to 
keep  them  clean  and  free  from  mites 
and  lice. 

Burglar  Alarm — I  refer  to  the  men- 
tion made  by  you  of  an  electric  burg- 


184 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


lar  alarm  to  protect  poultry  houses, 
and  would  venture  to  inquire  whether 
such  an  alarm  may  be  installed  by 
one  not  a  professional  electrician. 
Upon  what  principle  is  it  based,  and 
what  are  the  materials  needed? — 
H.  M. 

Answer — I  put  in  the  burglar  alarm 
you  speak  of  myself.  I  am  not  a 
professional  electrician,  but  I  went  to 
the  electrical  supply  house,  bought 


from  them  the  ordinary  alarm  fixtures 
which  are  used  at  the  door  and  win- 
dows of  residences;  they  explained  to 
me  how  to  set  them,  and  I  did  it  by 
their  directions.  I  did  not  find  it  dif- 
ficult. None  of  the  doors  or  windows 
in  my  hennery  could  be  opened  four 
inches  without  the  alarm  gong  at  the 
head  of  my  bed,  ringing.  I  should 
think  you  would  have  to  understand  a 
little  about  it  to  put  them  in. 


MATING  AND  BREEDING 


Age  for  Mating — I  wish  to  ask  if  a 
cockerel  should  be  mated  after  he  at- 
tains a  year  in  age  or  can  he  just  as 
well  stay  till  a  year  and  a  half  or  two 
years  old  before  being  mated? 

Also  I  wish  to  know  if  it  is  quite 
as  andvantageous  to  mate  a  rooster 
with  a  pullet  of  his  own  clutch,  sup- 
posing the  pullet  and  rooster  are  both 
a  year  and  a  half  old.  I  would  like  to 
do  that  if  you  think  it  advisable. — 
M.  S.  H. 

Answer — The  earliest  age  at  which 
a  cockerel  may  be  mated  should  be 
about  ten  months,  not  earlier  if  you 
want  large,  vigorous  chickens.  I  con- 
sider the  best  age  for  getting  sturdy 
chicks  is  for  both  parents  to  be  about 
two  years  of  age.  You  can  keep  a 
male  bird  as  long  as  you  wish  with- 
out mating  him,  but  he  should  be  en- 
tirely out  of  sight  and  out  of  hearing 
of  the  hens,  otherwise  he  will  fret  to 
get  to  them.  I  have  known  several 
to  drop  down  dead  from  getting  too 
much  excited  at  seeing  other  young 
males  in  the  pens  with  the  hens. 

From  a  year  and  a  half  to  three 
years  of  age  is  undoubtedly  the  best 
age  at  which  to  mate  the  fowls,  but 
you  can  have  very  good  results  with 
older  fowls.  In  your  place  I  would 
certainly  mate  the  year  and  a  half 
male  with  the  year  and  a  half  hen  and 
expect  good  results,  for  they  should 
both  be  in  their  prime. 


are  all  old  enough,  say  a  year  and  a 
half  or  two  years  old? — Mrs.  G.  S.  H. 
Answer — It  is  considered  best  not 
to  mate  brother  and  sister  together, 
yet  this  is  always  done  in  making  any 
new  breed,  and  as  yours  comes  from  a 
three  hundred  egg  a  year  hen,  I  would 
advise  you  to  do  so. 


Mating  Brother  and  Sister — Is  there 
any  objection  to  mating  a  rooster 
with  hens  of  his  own  clutch  if  they 


Breeding — I  have  a  nice  R.  I.  R. 
cockerel.  He  is  good  shape  and  color 
but  he  is  not  up  to  standard  weight. 
If  I  breed  from  him  will  he  produce 
chicks  larger  than  himself  if  they 
are  well  taken  care  of?  Is  there  any 
chance  of  getting  perfect  specimen 
from  fowls  under  weight?  I  bought 
some  very  fine  looking  hens,  but  their 
breasts  are  uneven.  I  also  got  eggs 
from  the  same  stock  and  the  pullets 
have  crooked  breasts.  Kindly  tell  me 
if  that  trouble  will  be  handed  down  if 
I  breed  from  them. — Mrs.  C.  R. 

Answer — As  a  rule,  the  chicks  take 
their  size  from  the  mother.  If  your 
R.  I.  R.  hens  have  a  good  size,  the 
chickens  will  be  larger  than  the  cock- 
erel, if  you  feed  them  for  large  frame. 
If  the  hens  are  under  weight  and  size, 
you  may  have  difficulty  in  increasing 
the  size  of  the  offspring.  Some  peo- 
ple think  that  crooked  breastbones 
come  from  chickens  roosting  on  a 
narrow  perch  when  they  are  young; 
however,  I  think  it  is  generally  con- 
ceded that  crooked  breastbones  are 
often  hereditary.  You  will  know  if 
your  chickens  have  roosted  at  too 
early  an  age.  If  not,  it  is  hereditary 
and  you  had  better  change  the  strain. 


MISCELLANEOUS  QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS 


Shipping  Young  Chicks — Do  you 
think  I  can  order  eggs  incubated  31 
miles  from  here  and  have  the  young 
chicks  sent  by  stage  with  perfect 
safety? 

We  are  feeding  corn  of  our  own 
growing  which  is  quite  musty.  I  have 
been  afraid  of  it,  but  so  far  cannot 
see  that  it  has  hurt  them,  although 
yesterday  a  hen  sat  around  all  day 
droopy  like.  I  wondered  if  the"  musty 
corn  affected  her. 

Last  summer  I  brought  into  the 
house  some  small  chicks  that  seemed 
about  to  die,  and  seeing  they  had  lice, 
I  dusted  them  thoroughly  with  bu- 
hach.  The  lice  soon  dropped  off  of 
them,  but  the  chickens  died.  Can  too 
much  powder  be  put  on  them? — Mrs. 
C.  S. 

Answer — Chickens  could  travel  a 
thousand  miles  before  they  are  twen- 
ty-four hours  old,  if  packed  in  a  box 
carefully.  That  is,  of  course,  before 
they  are  fed.  Last  year  I  sent  some 
from  Los  Angeles  to  Berkeley.  They 
were  out  36  hours,  but  arrived  in  per- 
fect condition,  all  vigorous  and  ready 
for  their  first  meal  in  their  new  home 
nearly  a  thousand  miles  away. 

Musty  wheat  or  corn  is  very  un- 
wholesome for  chickens.  Buhach 
would  not  kill  the  most  delicate  chick- 
en or  turkey,  but  is  death  to  all  in- 
sect life.  The  chickens  were  doubt- 
less dying  before  you  powdered  them. 


Castor  Bean  Bushes — I  have  been 
thinking  of  planting  castor  bean 
bushes  in  the  chicken  yard  for  shade, 
but  was  advised  by  a  neighbor  not  to 
do  it,  as  the  beans  would  drop  off  and 
if  chickens  ate  them  they  would  be 
poisoned.  Would  like  your  advice, 
please.  The  bushes  grow  quickly  and 
make  good  shade,  so  would  like  to  try 
them.  Do  you  think  it  would  be  O.K. 
— J.  H.  S. 

Answer — Castor  beans  are  poison- 
ous to  both  ducks  and  chickens  if 
they  eat  them,  so  I  would  advise  you 
to  plant  something  else.  Get  cuttings 
of  fig  trees,  about  ten  inches  long, 
bury  the  whole  length  except  one 
inch,  water  well,  and  you  will  have 
shade  in  a  few  months  and  fruit  in 
two  years.  I  find  figs  excellent  in 
the  chicken  yard,  and  the  chickens  do 
not  eat  the  leaves  and  bark.  Would 


advise  your  planing  also  other  fruit 
trees,  such  as  plum,  peach,  apricot. 
The  chicken  droppings  fertilize  these 
trees  and  the  quantities  of  fruit  you 
will  have  will  soon  repay  the  trouble. 
In  the  meantime  you  might  plant 
sunflowers.  They  make  good  shade 
and  their  seed  is  excellent  food  for 
the  chickens. 


Capons — Will  you  kindly  give  us  an 
article  on  capons?  What  is  the  de- 
mand for  them,  if  any?  What  do  you 
think  of  the  difference  in  profits  be- 
tween them  and  broilers?  If  there  is 
any  truth  in  the  statements  published 
in  regard  to  capons  in  the  Eastern 
markets,  they  ought  to  be  money- 
makers here.  Am  fitted  for  the  busi- 
ness, but  desire  more  information  in 
that  line  before  attempting  much.  I 
think  the  R.  I.  Reds  would  make  extra 
good  ones,  and  I  should  like  market- 
ing mature  birds  instead  of  those  a 
few  months  old.  Capons  for  the 
Philadelphia  market  have  to  be  a  year 
old  to  command  the  best  prices. — • 
H.  J.  K. 

Answer — Capons  bring  a  good  price 
now  in  Los  Angeles,  especially  if  you 
can  make  a  contract  with  some  of  the 
large  hotels  for  them.  This  you  can 
only  do  by  having  a  large  and  regu- 
lar supply.  The  price  last  year  was 
from  30c  to  35c  per  pound,  which  is 
a  paying  price.  Broilers  pay  about 
as  well  when  you  take  into  considera- 
tion that  you  can  turn  them  off  at 
eight  weeks  of  age.  This  would  be 
your  better  plan,  as  you  are  limited 
for  space  and  you  would  not  have 
the  expense  and  trouble  of  carrying 
them  for  another  ten  months.  I 
would  advise  you  to  sell  as  broilers 
all  the  young  males  you  do  not  wish 
to  keep  for  breeders.  This  will  give 
you  more  room  for  the  pullets  and 
you  need  space  to  have  your  pullets 
develop  well  for  the  fall  and  winter 
egg  market.  Capons  are,  undoubted- 
ly, money-makers  for  those  who  have 
plenty  of  space,  and  where  food  is 
cheaper  than  it  is  here  this  year.  Per- 
sonally I  found  that  capons  did  not 
pay  as  well  as  roasters.  These  were 
young  roosters  that  were  about  eight 
months  old  and  that  I  milk  fed.  I 
found  I  had  to  keep  my  young  males 
until  I  could  see  how  they  would  de- 
velop. I  began  by  caponizing,  but 


186 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


being  economically  inclined,  I  found 
the  milk-fed,  uncaponized  eight- 
months  youngsters  paid  me  best. 
Since  then  the  market  for  capons  has 
improved  here,  and  if  you  had  more 
room  and  could  buy  up  young  cock- 
erels, caponize  them  at  about  three 
months  of  age  and  turn  them  off  in 
the  following  spring,  just  when  tur- 
keys go  out,  you  might  make  some 
profit  on  them.  It  has  been  found 
that  the  Brahmas  or  crosses  of  the 
Brahmas  are  the  best  for  capons. 


same  time.     Some  chickens  will  eat  it 

earlier     than     others;     mine,     a  large 

breed,    usually    will    take    it    at  three 
weeks. 


From  Far  Away  Alaska — Commenc- 
ing with  the  first  of  March  for  the 
last  three  years  my  chickens  begin 
to  lose  their  feathers  in  front  of  their 
neck.  I  feed  them  wheat,  corn,  shorts, 
cooked  potatoes  and  cabbage.  They 
have  no  lice.  I  also  give  them  plenty 
of  charcoal  and  grit.  I  have  a  chick- 
en house  30  x  30,  logs  with  moss  be- 
tween, lined  inside  with  shakes.  I 
also  keep  fire  in  a  stove  to  keep  out 
dampness. — H.  C.  C.,  Sumdum,  Al- 
aska. 

Answer — Not  knowing  your  climate, 
scarcely  like  to  venture  an  opinion, 
about  the  reason  for  your  hens  los- 
ing their  feathers.  Your  rations 
seem  good,  all  except  there  is  no  ani- 
mal food  in  it.  I  think  you  should 
give  them  fish  with  their  cooked  po- 
tatoes. Do  not  feel  alarmed  about 
their  losing  their  feathers,  as  it  may 
be  on  account  of  the  climate. 


Technical  Names — Will  you  please 
tell  me  how  old  "friers,"  "broilers" 
and  "springs"  are?  When  is  it  safe 
to  feed  wheat  and  mash  to  chicks? — 
Mrs.  M.  N. 

Answer — It  is  not  by  the  age  that 
we  decide  upon  the  size  of  the  chick- 
ens, or  their  names.  "Squab  broil- 
ers" weigh  one  pound  and  are  usually 
from  a  small  breed,  fattened  as  quick-, 
ly  as  possible,  the  age  being  about 
six  or  seven  weeks.  "Broilers"  weigh 
from  one  to  two  pounds,  the  age  be- 
ing about  eight  weeks.  "Friers"  weigh 
from  one  pound  to  two  and  a  half 
pounds;  age,  about  ten  weeks.  Young 
"roasters"  from  two  and  a  half  to 
three  or  four  pounds,  age  about  three 
months. 

Feed  the  wheat  to  chicks  as  soon 
as  they  will  eat  it,  commencing  to 
add  it  to  the  chick  feed.  I  com- 
mence also  to  add  Kaffir  corn  at  the 


Henpecked  Husbands — I  cannot 
keep  my  hens  from  picking  the  combs 
of  the  roosters.  Could  you  tell  me 
the  reason  for  it?  Also  a  remedy  for 
it?  I  have  tried  everything  I  know 
for  it.  I  feed  meat  twice  a  week. — 
R.  M. 

Answer — This  habit  or  vice  usually 
comes  from  a  lack  of  green  food  or 
meat  in  the  ration.  Very  often  the 
habit  is  acquired  by  imitation  and 
thus  it  may  be  introduced  into  a  flock 
by  a  new  bird  which  had  contracted 
it  elsewhere,  or  it  is  spread  through 
the  flock  from  a  bird  which  is  led  to 
it  by  indigestion  or  other  disease  of 
the  stomach.  It  is  sometimes  started 
by  lice.  The  hen  sees  one  crawling 
on  her  mate's  comb  and  tries  to  peck 
at  it,  wounds  the  comb,  tastes  the 
warm  sweet  blood  and  keeps  up  the 
habit.  The  others  imitate  her  until 
the  poor  henpecked  husband  is  in  a 
sorry  plight.  The  preventive  is  plenty 
of  green  food,  plenty  of  exercise  and 
animal  food.  The  cure,  the  hatchet 
for  the  worst  hens,  or  if  they  are  too 
valuable,  let  them  run  without  the 
male  bird,  only  admitting  him  to  the 
pen  for  an  hour  a  day  in  the  after- 
noon. Give  the  hens  a  good  run  in 
a  grass-covered  yard.  Feed  plenty  of 
green  vegetables;  onions  chopped  are 
particularly  efficacious.  If  the  .  yard 
is  small,  prepare  a  scratching  shed, 
covering  the  floor  deeply  with  straw 
and  scatter  grain  in  the  straw  for  the 
morning  meal,  so  the  fowls  will  be 
compelled  to  scratch  and  work  to  find 
it.  Add  bi-carbonate  of  soda  to  the 
drinking  water  in  the  proportion  of 
about  20  grains  to  the  quart;  put  a 
small  quantity  in  the  food,  or  nail  up 
a  piece  of  salt  pork  for  the  hens  to 
peck. 


Will  you  kindly  tell  me  if  painting 
the  brooder  on  the  inside  with  crude 
oil  will  injure  little  chicks? 

We  have  ordered  100  Brown  Leg- 
horns for  March  15,  and  have  got  a 
second-hand  brooder.  Of  course,  we 
want  it  perfectly  clean,  as  we  are 
beginners  and  are  striving  for  success. 
A  friend  of  ours,  gave  us  five  gallons 
of  crude  oil  and  insisted  on  our  using 
it,  but  I  thought  it  wise  to  ask  some 


MISCELLANEOUS  QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS 


187 


one  more  experienced.  Thanking  you 
in  advance,  yours  truly,  Mrs.  G.  S. 
McW. 

Answer — I  would  not  advise  you  to 
paint  the  inside  of  your  brooder  with 
anything  as  strong  as  crude  oil.  It 
will  do  very  well  to  paint  the  outside 
of  the  hen  house  and  the  outside  of 
the  brooder  house,  and  will  last  for 
several  years,  preserve  the  wood  and 
keep  away  vermin,  but  is  too  strong 
for  the  little  chicks. 

I  will  tell  you  what  I  would  cTb  were 
I  in  your  place.  I  would  take  good 
hot  suds  and  a  brush,  either  a  whisk 
broom  or  a  scrubbing  brush,  and  thor- 
oughly scrub  out  the  brooder.  If  I 
thought  there  were  any  mites  or  lice 
in  it,  I  would  add  a  cupful  of  coal  oil 
(kerosene)  to  the  suds.  I  would  then 
put  it  in  the  sun  to  dry,  and  when  it 
was  dry  I  would  wash  it  all  over — 
hover,  felt  and  everything — with  a  so- 
lution of  bi-chloride  of  mercury.  You 
can  get  tablets  of  it  very  cheap  at  any 
drug  store.  Put  about  four  or  six 
tablets  in  a  pint  of  water  and  when  it 
is  dissolved  wash  all  over  the  brooders 
with  it.  Or  get  corrosive  sublimate; 
have  the  druggist  dissolve  it  in  alco- 
hol, and  paint  that  over  the  inside  of 
the  brooder.  This  will  destroy  all 
germs  of  any  disease  or  any  vermin. 
This  way  of  soapsuds,  followed  by 
the  mercury,  is  the  most  perfect  dis- 
infectant you  can  find.  It  will  kill 
tuberculosis,  chicken-pox,  cholera, 
etc.,  germs,  and  has  no  bad  smell  to 
injure  chicks. 


How  Long? — Would  you  kindly  an- 
swer how  long  after  the  eggs  have 
started  in  the  hen  does  it  take  before 
the  hen  lays?  Thanking  you  in  anti- 
cipation.— W.  B.  M. 

Answer — As  soon  as  a  pullet  .  is 
three  months  old  there  will  be  found 
inside  her  a  bunch  of  tiny  embryo 
eggs.  These  are  called  the  ovaries  or 
egg  organs.  If  the  hen  is  active,  in 
good  health  and  properly  fed,  these 
will,  one  after  another,  turn  into  eggs, 
but  the  hen  must  be  fed  the  elements 
of  the  egg  in  order  for  her  to  make 
the  eggs,  and  it  all  depends  upon  the 
food  how  long  it  will  take  the  hen  to 
accumulate  the  proper  proportion  of 
each  element  to  make  the  eggs,  that 
is,  the  elements  of  the  egg  rightly  bal- 
anced, enough  fat  and  protein  to  make 
the  yolk,  enough  albumen  and  water 


for    the    white,    enough    lime    for    the 
shell,  each  in  its  right  proportion. 

Soft  Shell  Eggs— Please  tell  me 
why  my  chickens  and  turkeys  lay  soft 
shell  eggs. — R.  A.  D. 

Soft  shell  eggs  come  either  from  an 
insufficient  supply  of  lime  in  the  ra- 
tions or  over  stimulation  of  the  egg 
organs  by  the  use  of  spice  or  so-called 
egg  foods.  Worms  may  increase  in  the 
intestines  to  such  an  extent  as  to 
stimulate  the  egg  passage  to  push 
along  the  egg  beyond  its  usual  dis- 
tance. An  over  fat  hen  has  a  ten- 
dency toward  laying  thin-shelled  eggs. 

Dr.  Woods  gives  this  advice: 
"Fowls  kept  closely  confined  in  cold 
weather  and  not  given  a  sufficient  va- 
riety of  food  are  apt  to  lay  soft- 
shelled  eggs.  The  trouble  may  be  due 
to  some  disturbance  of  the  egg  or- 
gans, or  to  improper  food,  careless 
feeding  and  lack  of  exercise.  It  us- 
ually responds  very  promptly  to  treat- 
ment. See  that  the  birds  are  supplied 
with  plenty  of  good  grit  and  oyster 
shell.  Feed  green  food,  scalded  short- 
cut alfalfa  or  clover.  Also  give  cab- 
bage, beets  and  turnips  fed  raw  when- 
ever they  can  be  obtained.  Feed  a  va- 
riety of  good,  sound  grain  and  some 
animal  food.  The  grain  should  be  fed 
in  the  scratching  pen." 


Saw  Off  Long  Spurs — I  wish  a  little 
information  in  regard  to  a  rose-comb 
Rhode  Island  Red  rooster  two  and  a 
half  years  old.  He  has  very  long 
spurs,  which  makes  it  difficult  for  him 
in  scratching  when  I  feed  them  in  the 
scratching  pen.  Is  there  any  way  o£ 
taking  them  off? 

Answer — It  is  very  advisable  always 
to  cut  the  long  spurs  off  the  male 
birds,  as  they  are  very  apt  to  injure 
the  hens  with  them.  I  find  the  best 
way  is  to  saw  them  off  with  a  fine 
meat  saw  about  an  inch  from  the  leg. 
I  do  not  saw  them  close  enough  to 
draw  blood.  You  can  also  file  them 
off,  but  sawing  is  quicker,  and  if  the 
edges  are  rough,  use  a  small  file  to 
make  them  smooth. 

Chicken  Manure — Please  answer 
immediately.  How  can  chicken  man- 
ure be  preserved,  and  where  can  it 
be  disposed  of,  and  at  what  price? 
Answer  and  oblige,  Mrs.  M.  A.  S. 


188 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


Answer — The  easiest  way  of  pre- 
serving chicken  droppings  is  by  plac- 
ing dry  earth  or  sand  or  kainit  under 
the  perches,  sweeping  this  up  two  or 
three  times  a  week  and  placing  it  in 
barrels  or  boxes.  Anyone  with  a  cit- 
rus orchard  is  glad  to  get  it  for  fer- 
tilizing the  trees.  I  know  one  man 
who  pays  $7.50  per  ton  for  it.  I  do 
not  know  what  the  market  value  is, 
but  I  know  that  it  is  considered  worth 
just  four  times  as  much  as  stable 
manure  and  that  it  is  a  most  excellent 
fertilizer. 


Fireless  Brooder — I  make  bold  to 
ask  you  for  a  little  information.  Will 
you  kindly  tell  me  of  the  fireless 
brooder?  Can  you  give  me  the  plans 
for  constructing  one,  or  tell  me  where 
I  can  get  the  plans?  Can  little  chicks 
just  hatched  be  put  in  the  fireless 
brooder? — Mrs.  W.  W.  G.»  Arizona. 

Answer — Take  a  box  about  ten 
inches  deep,  and  from  a  foot  and  a 
half  to  two  feet  square.  Rip  the  box 
six  inches  from  the  bottom  to  four 
inches  from  the  top,  so  there  will  be 
two  boxes,  one  six  inches,  the  other 
four  inches  deep  without  cover. 
Hinge  them  together  so  they  will 
close  as  they  were  before  being  sawed 
in  two.  Near  the  top  make  three  one- 
inch  holes  in  the  two  ends  for  venti- 
lation. For  the  hover  make  a  frame 
of  one-and-a-half  by  one-inch  lumber, 
so  it  will  fit  inside  the  box.  On  the 
under  side  of  this  frame  tack  cloth 
loosely  so  it  will  hang  in  the  center 
nearly  two  inches  below  the  frame. 
The  cloth  is  to  touch  the  chicks' 
backs.  Nail  cleats  across  the  ends  of 
the  lower  box  to  hold  the  frame  in 
position.  The  top  of  the  frame  should 
be  even  with  the  top  edge  of  the 
lower  box.  Cut  a  hole  on  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  bottom  box  to  the 
hinges,  for  the  chickens  to  go  in  and 
out. 

A  friend  who  made  this  brooder 
tacked  a  piece  of  burlap  on  the  floor 
and  then  filled  it  almost  up  to  the 
cloth  on  the  frame  (the  hover)  with 
finely  cut  straw  or  hay.  He  then 
scooped  out  a  nest  in  the  center  of  it 
and  put  the  baby  chicks  into  it.  The 
two-foot  size  is  large  enough  to  con- 
tain from  one  dozen  to  fifty  chicks 
for  one  week,  twenty-five  till  they  are 
three  weeks  old,  and  twenty  till  they 
are  six  weeks  old,  or  about  that  age. 
On  very  cold  nights  at  first  he  put  a 


little  piece  of  blanket  on  top  of  the 
hover.  As  the  chicks  grew  older  he 
lessened  the  amount  of  straw  or  chaff, 
when  the  chicks  were  large  enough 
to  raise  the  heat  sufficiently.  After 
using  this  brooder  (home  made)  all 
last  winter,  he  said  he  would  never  be 
without  it.  Personally  I  think  it 
would  be  a  good  plan  to  let  in  a  slide 
of  glass  at  one  side,  as  chickens  do 
not  like  to  go  into  a  dark  place.  I  do 
not  know  where  you  can  get  plans  for 
making  a  brooder,  but  you  can  buy 
fireless  brooders  at  any  of  the  large 
poultry  supply  houses  advertising  in 
this  paper.  This  is  Mr.  Killifer's 
brooder. 


Dipping  Hens— Would  you  be  so 
kind  as  to  write  and  let  me  know 
about  dipping  hens,  etc?  I  have  a 
flock  of  somewhere  between  five  and 
six  hundred.  I  notice  some  of  them 
have  lice  and  bunches  of  nits  on  their 
feathers.  Whenever  I  have  caught  a 
hen  I  have  greased  her  well,  but  this 
would  take  too  long  to  go  through 
the  bunch.  Is  there  any  dip  that 
would  be  strong  enough  and  do  no 
harm  to  the  birds  that  would  kill  the 
nits  with  only  one  dipping? — W.  B. 

Answer — As  you  have  so  large  a 
flock  of  hens  and  do  not  seem  able  or 
inclined  to  pull  out  the  feathers  that 
have  nits  upon  them,  I  think  you  will 
have  to  dip  them  twice,  with  an  inter- 
val of  five  or  six  days.  The  nits  are 
sure  to  hatch  out  in  about  five  days 
after  they  are  deposited  by  the  lice, 
and  by  twice  dipping  them  you  should 
get  most  of  them.  It  is  an  excellent 
plan  in  warm  weather  just  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  moult  to  immerse 
the  fowls  in  a  diluted  kerosene  emul- 
sion, wetting  them  thoroughly  to  the 
skin,  or  dip  them  in  strong  tobacco 
water,  or  a  solution  of  two  per  cent 
creolin  or  chloro  naphtholeum.  A 
well-known  poultryman  gives  the  fol- 
lowing advice:  Take  the  strongest 
and  purest  tobacco,  25  cents'  worth 
being  ample  to  clean  off  three  hun- 
dred fowls.  Make  the  decoction  quite 
strong.  If  the  user  will  observe  a 
few  points,  no  one  will  ever  regret 
using  tobacco  to  kill  lice  and  not  a 
solitary  one  will  be  left. 

First,  if  the  dipping  is  done  out  of 
doors,  the  thermometer  should  be  at 
least  80  in  the  shade;  second,  the 
water  should  never  be  more  than 
blood  warm,  say  98  degrees;  third, 


MISCELLANEOUS  QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS 


189 


and  this  is  the  most  important  point, 
every  solitary  feather  must  be  made 
soaking  wet,  else  you  will  not  make  a 
clean  job  of  it.  In  dipping  all  fowls 
having  heavy  plumage,  like  the  Brah- 
mas  and  Cochins,  the  feathers  must 
be  raised  with  the  hand  and  the  water 
allowed  to  thoroughly  wet  the  bird  to 
the  skin.  This  takes  from  one  to  two 
minutes  for  large,  well  feathered 
fowls.  If  a  dry  feather  is  left  there 
will  be  lice  upon  it.  Do  not  dip  the 
head  under,  but  when  the  *,fowl  is 
quiet,  dip  the  head  until  alt  is  under 
up  to  the  eyes.  When  they  will  not 
hold  still,  use  a  small  sponge  and  wet 
the  top  of  their  heads.  No  one  who 
has  fowls  troubled  with  lice  need  fear 
to  try  this.  It  is  very  effective. 

You  must  thoroughly  clean  the 
houses  to  get  rid  of  the  lice,  and 
paint  the  perches  with  a  good  lice 
paint  or  liquid  lice  killer. 

Give  the  hens  a  nice  freshly  dug  up 
dust  bath  and  they  will  keep  them- 
selves clean  of  lice.  You  can  add  one 
of  the  good  lice  powders  to  the  dust 
bath  if  you  wish. 


Sulphur  for  Lice — Have  you  ever 
had  any  experience  with  feeding  sul- 
phur to  poultry  for  exterminating 
lice?  I  have  been  told  that  sulphur 
fed  to  poultry  will  make  their  feathers 
smell  of  sulphur  and  kill  lice. — C.  W. 
B. 

Answer — I  never  heard  of  applying 
sulphur  internally  for  lice  externally. 
It  is  not  impossible,  perhaps,  that 
feeding  sulphur  would  affect  the  lice. 
It  has  a  tendency  when  fed  liberally 
to  make  fowls  very  susceptible  to 
colds.  This  is  said  to  be  because  it 
opens  the  pores  of  the  skin  too  much. 
If  that  is  correct,  there  would  be  ap- 
parently some  reason  in  the  idea  that 
sulphur  taken  internally  was  objec- 
tionable to  lice.  However,  it  is  better 
to  use  external  applications  for  these 
parasites. 

Formula  for  Chick  Feed— The 
formula  for  chick  feed  that  you  want 
is  as  follows: 

Chick  feed  for  little  chicks  from  the 
time  they  are  hatched:  30  Ibs.  cracked 
wheat,  30  Ibs.  rolled  or  steel-cut  oats, 
15  Ibs.  finely  cracked  corn,  10  Ibs. 
each  of  rice,  millet,  pearl  barley,  mus- 
tard or  rape  seed,  granulated  or 
ground  bone,  dried  blood  or  granu- 
lated milk,  chick  grit,  5  Ibs.  granu- 
lated charcoal. 


Mix  and  keep  always  before  the 
chicks.  Also  clean  water  and  skim 
milk  if  you  have  it.  Note  in  the 
chick  feed  tha't  wheat,  oats  and 
cracked  corn  are  the  chief  ingredients. 
The  others  are  to  give  a  variety,  and 
if  you  cannot  get  them,  you  just  will 
have  to  leave  them  out.  The  bone 
and  the  dried  blood  are  the  animal 
part  of  the  ration  and  can  be  substi- 
tuted by  fresh  meat  or  milk  or  clab- 
ber or  cottage  cheese. 

A  formula  for  laying  hens  which  I 
have  used  for  years  is:  Two  meas- 
ures of  bran,  one  measure  of  alfalfa 
meal,  one  measure  of  beef  scraps,  and 
in  the  breeding  season  one  measure 
of  oatmeal  or  rolled  oats.  This  mix- 
ture can  be  used  as  a  dry  mash  or 
mixed  with  water  as  a  moist  (but  not 
sloppy)  mash.  I  add  a  little  pepper 
and  salt  to  it  to  season  it. 

At  moulting  time  I  also  add  a  quar- 
ter of  a  measure  of  linseed  meal,  or, 
if  I  cannot  get  that,  half  a  measure 
of  cottonseed  meal,  and  sometimes  a 
little  tonic  to  help  on  the  moult.  The 
linseed  meal  gives  a  gloss  to  the  new 
feathers  that  nothing  else  will  give. 
The  hens  should  have  before  them  all 
the  time  good,  sharp  grit  and  oyster 
shells  crushed.  The  oyster  shells  is 
to  supply  the  lime  to  make  the  egg 
shell. 

Broken  Down  Hen — There  are  two 
things  I  am  anxious  to  know  and  I 
think  you  can  help  me  from  your  ex- 
perience. I  have  a  hen  whose  hind 
part  has  been  gradually  swelling  until 
now  it  nearly  touches  the  ground. 
The  feathers  have  all  dropped  out  of 
her  head.  I  think  an  egg  may  have 
been  broken  inside,  but  she  seems  so 
healthy  that  hardly  seems  possible. 
Please  state  cure,  if  any. — G.  F.  M. 

Answer — Your  hen  has  what  we 
call  a  "break  down."  This  is  the  re- 
sult of  a  too  fattening  diet  or  too 
much  corn,  and  too  little  of  the  mus- 
cle, bone  forming  and  egg  elements. 
There  is  a  large  fat  deposit  in  the 
abdomen,  bulging  and  dragging  down 
the  skin  and  muscles,  giving  an  un- 
gainly appearance  to  the  bird.  It  is 
a  question  whether  to  diet  her  or  to 
eat  her.  I  would  'advise  the  latter,  as 
she  will  not  prove  a  very  good  layer 
after  this.  The  bareness  of  head  also 
indicates  an  unbalanced  ration  and  an 
insufficiency  of  "protein,"  the  feather 
making  element.  A  little  carbolated 


190 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


vaseline  rubbed  in  twice  a  week  and 
more  green  food  and  more  ariimal 
food  in  the  ration  will  rectify  this. 


For  Layers. — Will  you  please  an- 
swer the  following  questions:  Will 
hens  lay  as  well  without  the  male 
bird? 

Which  would  you  advise  me  to  keep 
for  breeders,  pullets  hatched  last 
spring,  which  are  laying  now,  or  the 
one-year-old  hens? 

Which  is  the  best  feed  for  them 
to  produce  eggs,  the  warm  mash  in 
the  morning  and  corn  at  night  or  the 
dry  feed?— Mrs.  O.  G.  L. 

Answer — 1.  Yes,  and  the  eggs  will 
keep  better. 

2.  Keep  hens  for  mothers  and  pul- 
lets for  your  winter  layers  is  the  best 
rule. 

3.  I   prefer  to   give  the  mash,   if   I 
give    any,    at    night;    then    I    can    use 
up  the  table  scraps,  mixing  them  with 
bran,  corn  meal  and  alfalfa  meal,  giv- 
ing the  fowls  either  dry  mash  in  hop- 
pers or  grain  in  their  scratching  pen, 
to   induce   them   to   exercise   for  their 
day   meal.      In    this    way    I    get    more 
eggs. 

Testing  Out  Infertile  Eggs. — I  note 
in  the  paper  an  advertisement  for  an 
egg-tester  which  claims  that  it  is  pos- 
sible to  test  out  the  infertile  eggs  be- 
fore setting.  Will  you  please  tell  me 
if  you  think  this  is  possible? — Mrs. 
J.  F.  Y. 

Answer — The  advertisement  which 
you  mention  was  misleading.  The 
way  in  which  it  tested  the  eggs  was 
by  floating  them  with  the  instrument 
in  water;  if  they  proved  heavy  enough 


to  sink  to  a  certain  depth  it  showed 
that  the  egg  was  rich  enough  to  sup- 
port the  life  of  a  chick,  should  there 
be  a  germ  in  that  egg.  The  machine 
could  not  show  whether  there  was  a 
germ  in  the  egg,  consequently  it  could 
not  show  if  the  egg  was  fertilized  or 
not.  The  little  germ  is  so  infinitesi- 
mally  small  that  it  would  make  no 
appreciable  difference  in  the  weight  of 
the  egg. 

Packing  Eggs  for  Hatching. — Will 
you  kindly  answer  the  following: 

1.  How    long    can    one    keep    eggs 
for    setting? 

2.  How    is    the    best    way    to    ship 
eggs  for  setting  so  they  will  not  get 
broken?— Mrs.    C.    D.    D. 

Answer — 1.  You  can  keep  your 
eggs  three  weeks  or  even  more  by 
turning  them  every  day,  but  you  must 
remember  that  the  longer  you  keep 
them  the  fewer  will  hatch  and  they 
will  not  be  as  vigorous  chicks  as  if 
the  eggs  had  been  fresh  when  set. 

2.  You  can  now  get  egg  boxes 
made  for  packing  eggs  for  express- 
ing or  you  can  pack  them  in  common 
slat  baskets  or  peach  baskets.  I  real- 
ly prefer  the  baskets.  I  put  a  layer 
of  excelsior  in  the  bottom  of  the  bas- 
ket, then  wrap  each  egg  in  a  piece 
of  newspaper  about  six  inches  square; 
set  them  little  end  down,  packing  ex- 
celsior between  them,  then  put  a  lay- 
er of  excelsior  on  the  top,  and  cov- 
er with  burlap,  sewing  it  into  the 
basket  with  twine.  Mark  plainly, 
"Eggs  for  hatching,  handle  with  care." 
In  the  many  thousands  of  eggs  I  have 
sent  out,  only  two  baskets  had  any 
broken  eggs. 


TURKEY  QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS 


Tomatoes  for  Turkeys — I  am  feed- 
ing my  turkeys  a  small  ration  of  ripe 
tomatoes.  Is  this  a  proper  food  for 
them?— W.  F.  G. 

Answer — A  small  amount  of  ripe 
tomatoes  will  not  do  your  turkeys 
any  harm.  They  are  very  fond  of 
them,  and  it  will  benefit  them,  al- 
though there  is  very  little  nourish- 
ment in  the  tomatoes;  the  acidity 
seems  to  agree  with  them. 


Turkeys  Have  Chicken-Pox — What 
is  the  matter  with  my  young  turkeys, 


and  what  shall  I  do  for  them?  All 
over  their  heads  and  bills  there  are 
lumps  forming  like  warts.  Some  of 
them  have  just  a  few  while  others 
have  their  heads  covered  with  them. 
The  turkeys  are  about  half  grown 
They  are  not  penned  up  and  have 
plenty  of  green  alfalfa.  We  feed 
wheat  and  meat  scraps  occasionally. — 
Miss  M.  M. 

Answer — Your  turkeys  have  chick- 
en-pox. The  cure  is  to  apply  car- 
bolic salve,  or  carbolated  vaseline.  In 
three  days  bathe  the  affected  parts 


TURKEY   QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS 


191 


with  warm  soapsuds  in  which  are  a 
few  drops  of  carbolic  acid,  and  again 
apply  the  salve.  Add  a  little  sulphur 
to  their  food.  This  will  hasten  the 
cure.  They  should  be  cured  in  a  little 
over  a  week.  Be  sure  to  separate  all 
the  fowls  affected  from  the  flock. 
This  will  prevent  the  spreading  of 
the  disease. 


Turkeys  Lame — Will  you  kindly  tell 
me  what  to  do  for  my  turkeys?  My 
early  hatches  did  fine,  but  of  the  late 
hatch,  four  of  them  were  troubled  with 
stiff  legs,  one  died,  and  one  got  well, 
but  the  other  two  are  still  lame,  the 
knee  joints  are  swollen  and  kind  of 
pink  color.  Their  appetities  are  good. 
-K.  C. 

Answer — Your  turkeys  have  rheu- 
matism. This  comes  from  their  liver 
being  affected,  by  cold  or  damp  wea- 
ther. Give  each  of  the  affected  tur- 
keys a  small  liver  pill,  followed  by  a 
one-grain  quinine  pill  every  day  for  a 
week.  Bathe  the  knee  joints  with  the 
following:  One  cup  of  vinegar,  one 
cup  of  turpentine,  one  heaping  table- 
spoon of  saltpeter.  Mix,  keep  in  a 
bottle,  shake  before  using.  I  think 
this  will  cure  them.  Be  careful  not  • 
to  give  them  any  corn  or  corn  meal, 
and  give  plenty  of  lettuce. 

General  Care  of  Turkeys— I  would 
like  to  ask  a  few  questions  about  tur- 
keys. You  mentioned  raising  them 
in  a  brooder.  1.  How  warm  should 
one  have  the  brooder  when  the  poults 
are  first  put  in?  2.  At  the  end  of 
the  first  week  what  should  the  tem- 
perature be  lowered  to?  3.  Is  al- 
falfa meal  necessary  or  of  any  benefit 
to  little  poults  or  to  little  chicks  if 
they  have  all  the  green  barley  they 
will  eat,  cut  fine? — A  Beginner. 

Answer — The  heat  under  the  hover 
should  be  about  95.  The  reason  I  say 
"about"  is  that  on  a  very  warm,  sun- 
ny day  it  might  be  a  little  lower,  but 
should  the  outside  temperature  be 
cold  or  the  weather  damp  and 
gloomy,  it  might  be  up  to  95  for  the 
best  results.  2.  About  85,  depend- 
ing somewhat  on  the  outside  air  and 
weather.  Gradually  lower  the  tem- 
perature till  you  get  it  to  70  or  80, 
according  to  the  weather.  3.  No! 
Little  turkeys  require  the  succulent 
green,  not  the  dried  hay,  ground  up. 
Give  them  lettuce  chopped  up  at  first 
with  every  'meal;  then  either  lettuce, 


dandelion  leaves,  onion  tops  chopped 
fine,  or  cabbage  or  the  tender  leaves 
of  beets.  Any, green  vegetable  that 
you  would  eat  yourself  will  do  and 
also  the  green  barley  as  long  as  it  is 
succulent  and  tender.  Barley  soon 
gets  tough  and  hard  and  then  it  not 
suitable  for  the  little  turkeys. 


Keep  Separate  from  Chicks— Will 
you  kindly  give  me  some  information 
concerning  newly  hatched  turkeys? 
We  have  two  hens  and  a  torn.  Would 
you  advise  keeping  them  away  from 
chickens? — Mrs.  C.  B. 

Answer — Little  turkeys  do  much 
better  when  kept  away  from  chickens. 
They  require,  or  do  better,  on  differ- 
ent food,  and  when  very  young  re- 
quire to  be  kept  quiet,  whilst  the 
chicks  like  to  scratch  and  rustle. 
Turkeys  move  more  slowly  and  need 
rest  and  quiet.  Then,  again  corn, 
Kaffir  corn  and  corn  meal  suit  chick- 
ens, but  ferment  inside  the  little  tur- 
keys and  give  them  diarrhoea,  which 
is  often  fatal.  Let  the  turkey  mothers 
take  care  of  the  little  turkeys  and 
give  them  grass  or  alfalfa  to  run  on 
and  they  will  do  well. 


Turkeys — I  am  glad  if  I  have  been 
able  to  help  you  with  your  turkeys, 
and  will  try  to  reply  to  your  ques- 
tions, but  I  wish  you  could  give  your 
turkeys  free  range  as  they  are  the 
Bronze,  for  that  most  beautiful  breed 
is  nearer  to  the  wild  than  any  other 
and,  therefore,  need  more  than  any, 
a  good  wide  free  range  to  keep  them 
healthy.  A  turkey  on  the  range  eats 
a  few  seeds,  then  sees  an  insect,  may- 
be a  grasshopper,  and  chases  after 
that,  which  is  good  exercise.  After 
a  run  he  finds  perhaps  a  nice  little 
pebble  or  a  few  green  leaves  or  twigs, 
and  so  on.  He  only  eats  a  very  little 
at  a  time  and  exercises  between  each 
mouthful  and  this  is  the  way  a  tur- 
key, should  eat.  The  nearer  we  can 
come  to  copying  nature  in  feeding 
turkeys,  the  better  success  we  shall 
have.  Now,  with  this  prelude  I  will 
try  to  answer  your  questions  to  the 
best  of  my  ability. 

1.  How  much  grain  and  what  kinds 
should  I  feed?  2.  Should  I  give 
them  bran  and  beef  scraps?  3.  Or 
do  you  prefer  granulated  milk? 
4.  How  much  of  the  milk  should  they 
have?  5.  Should  I  feed  more  than 


192 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


twice  a  day?  6.  Is  there  any  food 
which  should  be  always  before  them? 
—Mrs.  C.  F.  S. 

Keeping  twenty  young  three- 
month-old  turkeys  yarded  is  a  very 
serious  proposition,  unless  your  yard 
is  an  unusually  large  one  with  plenty 
of  shade  and  sunshine.  1.  Wheat  is 
the  best  grain  for  turkeys  until  about 
two  or  three  weeks  before  you  want 
to  kill  them,  then  you  can  add  corn. 
2.  You  can  give  bran  and  beef  scraps 
but,  3.  I  prefer  granulated  milk  and 
bran,  as  it  seems  to  agree  better  with 
the  turkeys.  4.  About  an  ounce  each 
per  day.  5.  Twice  a  day  is  consid- 
ered about  right  for  yarded  turkeys. 
6.  Turkeys  need  plenty  of  fresh, 
green  succulent  food,  such  as  clover 
lawn  clippings  or  lettuce,  swiss  chard, 
beet  tops,  cabbage  or  the  curly  kale. 
They  must  have  green  food  to  do 
well  and  should  have  all  they  can 
eat  of  it,  and  grain  only  twice  a  day. 
Almost  any  kind  of  fruit  or  nuts  or 
olives  suits  them.  It  you  want  to 
leave  any  food  always  before  them 
you  might  leave  a  box  of  granulated 
milk  and  another  of  bran.  Always 
keep  charcoal,  grit  and  granulated 
bone  before  them.  If  you  had  a  wal- 
nut orchard  in  which  they  could  roam 
I  would  say  leave  a  box  of  wheat 
where  they  can  get  to  it  and  they  will 
not  over  eat;  they  will  roam  away 
and  only  go  to  it  when  hungry,  but 
in  a  yard  with  nothing  to  occupy  or 
interest  them,  I  think  the  bran  would 
be  better.  Give  them  at  least  three 
or  four  times  a  week,  onions  chopped 
up  and  mixed  with  dry  bran.  The 
onions  are  a  wonderful  tonic  to  liver 
and  kidneys  and  will  do  more  to  help 
you  keep  the  turkeys  healthy  than 
anything.  They  are  also  a  preventive 
to  intestinal  worms  and  roup.  Fresh, 
clean  water  as  cool  as  possible  is  also 
a  necessity. 


Turkeys — I  have  just  moved  into 
this  valley,  on  a  120-acre  farm  and 
want  to  raise  turkeys.  Now,  is  the 
White  Holland  as  good  to  raise  for 
market  as  the  Bronze,  if  so,  do  you 
have  their  eggs  to  sell?  If  you  do 
not  have  them,  will  you  please  send 
me  the  address  of  someone  who  does. 
Also  the  address  of  someone  who  has 
the  Bronze?  Do  you  have  Guinea 
fowls,  and  if  so  what  do  you  charge 
for  a  setting  of  eggs;  if  you  do  not 
keep  them  will  you  give  me  the  ad- 


dress of  someone  who  does?  I  also 
want  to  ask  you  if  you  think  it  will 
pay  to  raise  geese  for  the  feathers, 
if  so,  what  kind  is  best?  And  where 
can  I  get  the  eggs?  We  have  plenty 
of  alfalfa  and  plenty  of  water. — Mrs. 
S.  E.  S. 

Answer — White  Holland  turkeys 
will  do  equally  well  with  the  Bronze. 
They  are  not  quite  as  heavy  when 
two  years  old;  they  are  smaller 
boned;  but  I  have  had  them  at  six 
months  weighing  eighteen  to  twenty- 
two  pounds,  which  size  is  preferred 
on  the  market  to  any  larger.  The 
White  Holland  seem  to  stand  hot  cli- 
mate exceedingly  well  and  they  do 
not  roam  as  far  as  the  Bronze.  I 
will  try  and  send  you  a  list  of  breed- 
ers of  both  kinds.  There  are,  how- 
ever, quite  a  number  of  persons  in  the 
interior  valley  breeding  turkeys,  and 
my  advice  to  you  would  be  to  get 
the  eggs  from  two  or  three  different 
parties  near  you.  I  saw  a  large  flock 
at  El  Centre,  and  heard  of  others  at 
Imperial,  Thermal  and  Coachella. 

The  Guineas  do  not  begin  to  lay 
here  before  April;  if  you  will  write  to 
me  then  I  may  be  able  to  give  you 
the  address  of  farmers  having  some. 

I  think  it  would  pay  to  raise  geese, 
As  they  are  grazing  animals  they  re- 
quire very  little  grain  and  will  live 
almost  entirely  upon  alfalfa.  But  they 
must  have  plenty  of  grit  as  well  as 
crushed  shell  to  make  egg  shell, 
There  is  not  grit  enough  in  the  soil 
of  Imperial  valley  for  domestic  fowls 
of  any  kind. 

The  Toulouse  geese  are  usually  the 
most  popular.  They  are  gray  and 
white.  I  like  the  Embden;  they  are 
the  same  size  but  are  pure  white.  I 
will  send  you  the  address  of  a  party 
keeping  the  Toulouse  geese  and  will 
try  to  find  out  where  you  can  get  the 
Embden. 


A  Lack  of  Green  Food— I  have  a 
torn  turkey  that  is  sick.  He  was  a 
year  old  last  May  and  about  six  weeks 
ago  he  would  not  eat.  He  did  not 
look  sick,  and  would  strut  and  gobble 
a  little,  but  did  not  eat.  I  gave  him 
Carters'  liver  pills  and  he  soon  got 
all  right.  About  a  week  ago  he  be- 
gan to  get  off  his  feed  again,  and  I 
at  once  began  to  doctor  him.  Have 
given  him  liver  pills  and  germazone, 
but  he  has  not  eaten  anything  since 
last  Wednesday.  Can  you  tell  me 


TURKEY  QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS 


193 


what  ails  him  and  what  to  do  for  him? 
He  is  a  very  valuable  bird  and  I  am 
anxious  to  have  him  get  well.  His 
usual  feed  is  bran,  barley  meal,  al- 
falfa meal  and  beef  scrap  in  the  morn- 
ing and  wheat  and  Kaffir  corn  at 
night,  with  plenty  of  grit  and  oyster 
shell.— Mrs.  G.  H.  B. 

Answer — I  think  your  turkey  re- 
quires more  green  food  than  you  are 
giving  him  as  you  only  mention  al- 
falfa meal.  Give  him  now,  3..  quinine 
pill  (two  grains)  every  night  for  a 
week.  Add  charcoal  and  chopped  on- 
ions to  his  mash  in  the  morning,  and 
plenty  of  green  food  once  or  twice  a 
day.  Give  him  as  large  a  range  as 
possible,  or  if  you  cannot  give  him 
range,  let  him  out  on  your  own  lawn 
for  two  hours  before  sundown.  What 
he  needs  is  fresh  green  food  and 
chopped  onions  for  the  liver  tonic. 


up  the  trees  to  the  turkeys.  Pour  a 
little  stream  of  crude  petroleum  at 
the  foot  of  the  .trees  to  keep  off  the 
ticks. 


Turkey's  Chickenpox — I  have  some 
young  turkeys  several  months  old. 
On  the  heads  of  some  are  round 
things  like  warts;  on  one  they  are 
sore  looking  and  are  also  on  each 
knee-joint  of  the  legs.  The  turkeys 
don't  appear  sick.  We  have  rubbed, 
the  heads  with  axle-grease,  as  once 
before  that  seemed  to  help.  What  is 
the  cause  of  this  disease?  How  can 
one  cure  or  prevent  it  and  are  the 
fowls  good  for  food  if  they  recover? 

My  turkeys  have  free  range  and 
have  had  plenty  of  animal  food  in  the 
shape  of  bugs,  etc.,  all  summer,  also 
of  course,  green  food  in  as  large  a 
quantity  as  they  cared  for.  I  have 
only  fed  them  wheat.  Chicken  ticks, 
these  flat  bugs,  are  bad  here,  but  the, 
turkeys  roost  outside,  so  should  not 
be  bothered  much. — M.  A. 

Answer — Your  turkeys  have  chick- 
enpox.  It  comes  from  a  microbe 
which  gains  entrance  under  the  skin 
from  some  slight  abrasion,  such  as  a 
scratch,  or  the  bite  of  an  insect.  It 
is  very  prevalent  during  the  fall,  but 
except  in  the  case  of  very  young 
chickens,  is  easily  curable,  and  the 
remedies  you  are  using  will  effect  a 
speedy  cure. 

Carbolic  salve,  or  carbolized  vase- 
line is  the  usual  cure — or  you  can 
wash  the  spots  in  hot  soapsuds  to  get 
off  the  scab  and  then  grease  just  only 
the  spots.  The  carbolic  acid  in  the 
salve  kills  the  microbe.  The  turkeys 
are  perfectly  fit  for  food.  You  had 
better  be  sure  the  ticks  do  not  crawl 


Turkeys — Will  you  kindly  tell  how 
to  raise  little  turkeys  without  any 
milk,  or  can't  it  be  done?  We  value 
your  writing  very  much. — H.  D.  C. 

Answer — The  milk  that  we  use  in 
feeding  little  turkeys,  either  as  plain 
skim  milk  for  them  to  drink  or  as  a 
curd  for  them  to  eat,  is  given  be- 
cause it  is  found  to  be  the  best  substi- 
tute for  the  insects  that  would  be  Na- 
ture's diet  for  the  little  turkeys.  The 
next  best  substitute  is  hard  boiled 
eggs  and  after  that  ground-up  meat, 
either  raw  or  cooked. 

Here  in  Los  Angeles  we  can  get 
the  granulated  and  the  dried  milk  and 
these  make  a  good  feed,  both  for  tur- 
keys and  chickens.  I  should  think 
you  could  get  either  of  these  at  the 
poultry  supply  houses  in  Santa  Cruz. 


Sick  Gobbler — I  write  again  in  re- 
gard to  a  fine  gobbler.  He  was 
hatched  last  May.  He  has  been  sick 
about  ten  days.  Just  sits  around  and 
does  not  walk  much.  Eats  very  little, 
and  his  droppings  are  nearly  all  white 
and  small  in  quantity.  His  food  has 
been  rolled  barley,  wheat,  and  we 
have  nine  acres  in  green  barley.  He 
has  plenty  of  clean,  pure  water  and 
is  not  lousey,  as  I  dust  my  turkeys 
with  insecticide  every  week.  When 
he  first  drooped  around  I  gave  him 
some  liver  pills,  but  he  does  not  get 
much  better.  I  hope  you  may  be  able 
to  tell  me  something  that  will  help 
him  as  I  should  feel  very  badly  to 
lose  him. — Mrs.  S.  H.  J. 

Answer — I  would  advise  you  first 
to  stop  dusting  that  gobbler  with  in- 
sect powder,  as.it  may  be  disagreeing 
with  him.  Secondly,  I  would  give 
him  small  liver  pills,  and  at  the  same 
time,  for  at  least  a  week,  a  pill  of 
one  or  two  grains  of  quinine  every 
night.  Also  notice  his  droppings,  if 
possible,  because  he  may  have  in- 
testinal worms,  although  the  symp- 
toms are  more  like  kidney  trouble. 


Tapeworm  in  Turkeys — I  have  over 
100  turkeys  that  seem  to  be  healthy 
but  do  not  grow  as  they  should.  I 
find  now  they  are  full  of  long  worms, 


194 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


probably  tape  worms.     What   shall   I 
do?— Mrs.    L.    B.    D. 

Answer — If  your  turkeys  have  tape- 
worms, the  best  remedy  I  know  is 
male-fern  (felix  mas).  It  may  be 
used  in  the  form  of  a  powder;  (dose 
thirty  grains  to  one  dram)  or  of  liquid 
extract  (dose  fifteen  to  thirty  drops). 
It  should  be  given  in  the  morning  and 
evening  before  feeding.  Oil  of  tur- 
pentine is  an  excellent  remedy  for  the 
common  round  worm;  dose  one  to 
three  teaspoonsful  in  an  equal  amount 
of  castor  oil.  Feeding  stewed  garlic 
or  raw  onions  will  help  the  cure. 


Shipping  Turkeys— Can  turkey  eggs 
be  hatched  successfuly  in  an  incuba- 
tor or  are  they  more  apt  to  die? 
Will  it  hurt  the  little  turkeys  to  be 
carried  on  the  car  any  great  distance? 
—Mrs.  A.  P. 

Answer — Turkey  eggs  can  be 
hatched  in  an  incubator,  if  you  don't 
mix  them  with  other  eggs,  other- 
wise they  do  better  under  the  hen. 
They  can  be  raised  in  brooders,  and 
it  will  not  hurt  them  to  travel  on  the 
cars  if  they  do  not  get  chilled. 


How  Many  Toms? — I  want  to  ask 
you  how  many  turkey  toms  I  should 
have  for  24  hens.  I  have  tw^o  fine 
toms  weighing  about  22  pounds  each. 
Their  beards  are  well  developed  and 
they  appear  to  be  very  good  birds. 
Will  those  two  be  enough  for  24 
hens?— Mrs.  C.  B.  L. 

Answer — It  really  would  be  better 
to  have  three  toms,  but  under  the  cir- 
cumstances I  would  rather  risk  hav- 
ing two  good  toms  than  to  buy  a 
third  of  unknown  quality. 

The  rule  is  one  yearling  torn  to  ten 
hens.  One  torn  will  do  for  twenty 
hens  some  times,  but  ten  hens  is  about 
the  best  number. 


Liver  Trouble — We  are  in  trouble 
with  our  little  turkeys,  and  would, 
like  to  ask  you  to  help  us.  They  were 
fine,  strong  fellows  until  a  few  days 
ago,  when  four  of  them  suddenly 
died.  I  just  noticed  two  of  them,  a 
little  droopy  in  the  afternoon,  and 
four  were  dead  the  next  morning. 
There  was  the  slightest  touch  of 
diarrhoea  noticeable,  and  I  immediate- 
ly put  a  little  gerrnazone  in  their 
water,  and  they  have  had  it  for  sev- 
eral days.  They  have  no  signs  of  it 
now,  but  four  more  died  last 
night,  and  several  others  are  droop- 
ing. We  made  an  examination  this 
morning  and  found  the  liver  all 
blotched  and  spotted  all  over  in  dark 
rings.  That  is  all  we  could  find 
wrong.  The  gizzard  was  healthy  and 
full  of  grit  and  seemed  perfect  and 
in  order. — Mrs.  A.  H. 

Answer — The  spotted  liver  is  all 
that  killed  them.  It  denotes  conges- 
tion of  the  liver.  This  is  usually 
brought  on  by  wrong  feeding,  or  over- 
feeding, but  it  also  comes  from  their 
taking  cold;  either  from  being  too 
warm  at  night,  under  the  chicken  hen, 
getting  them  hot  and  sweaty,  and 
then  coming  out  in  the  morning  into 
the  cool,  foggy  air,  which  gives  them 
a  sudden  chill.  This  would  affect  the 
liver,  and  make  even  the  proper  food 
disagree  with  them.  They  may  take 
cold  and  get  a  chill  affecting  the  liver, 
from  running  in  damp  alfalfa;  or  the 
chicken  hen  may  drag  them  about  and 
make  the  exercise  too  much,  and  this 
also  would  weaken  their  liver  and 
make  them  susceptible  to  cold,  which 
would  affect  their  liver.  I  can  only 
give  you  these  suggestions,  as  I  do 
not  know  all  your  conditions.  One  of 
the  best  remedies  for  diarrhoea  in 
both  chickens  and  little  turkeys,  is 
rice  boiled  in  milk,  with  a  tablespoon- 
ful  of  ground  cinnamon  to  every  pint 
of  milk.  Rice  given  even  dry  will 
help  in  a  case  of  this  kind. 


ABOUT  DUCKS 


Duck  Eggs  vs.  Hen  Eggs— What 
difference,  if  any,  should  there  be  in 
running  an  incubator  with  duck  eggs 
from  hen  eggs?  I  am  very  success- 
ful with  hen  eggs  but  never  succeed- 
ed very  we'll  writh  duck  eggs;  the 
same  eggs  hatch  90  per  cent  under  a 
hen,  and  the  first  test  from  the  incu- 
bator is  about  90  per  cent  and  then 
they  die  in  the  shell. — J.  W.  *-L. 

Answer — Duck  eggs  require  differ- 
ent treatment  than  the  hen  eggs.  Af- 
ter the  first  test  when  you  take  them 
out  to  turn  them,  sprinkle  them  every 
day  with  warm  water.  Leave  them 
out  a  few  minutes  to  partially  dry  off, 
fan  the  stale  air  out  of  the  incubator 
and  then  replace  them.  By  this 
means  I  think  you  will  have  a  better 
hatch.  Duck  eggs  require  more  dry- 
ing out  than  hen  eggs  and  yet  the 
shell  must  be  dampened  to  make  it 
brittle.  Putting  water  into  the  incu- 
bator does  not  do  as  well  as  sprink- 
ling. 

Food— Good    and    Bad — 1.     Would 

lettuce   make   good   greens   to   sow   in 
runways  for  Indian  Runner  ducks? 

2.  Will    some    whole    wheat    hurt 
them  if  they  are  provided  with   grit? 

3.  At      what      age      should      ducks 
hatched  in   March   commence   laying? 

4.  Will     beef     suet     and     chopped 
fresh    beef    do    to    feed    them? — Mrs. 
F.    H. 

Answer — 1.  Lettuce  is  good  for  all 
fowls  and  would  be  good  for  the 
ducks  as  long  as  it  lasts,  but  I  am 
afraid  the  little  fellows  would  soon 
pull  it  all  up. 

2.  Whole  wheat  is  not  as  good  for 
little  ducks  as    bran    and    corn  meal. 
See  article  in  this  book. 

3.  Indian      Runners       hatched       in 
March  will  commence  laying  in   Sep- 
tember. 

4.  Beef    suet    is    not    the    food    for 
ducks,  but  if  you  want  to  fatten  them, 
you  might  add   a  little   of  it  to   their 
mash. 


Indigestion — What  is  wrong  with 
my  ducks?  They  are  almost  full 
grown,  and  they  turn  over  on  their 
backs  and  are  unable  to  get  up;  they 
are  very  weak;  their  eyes  scale  over 
and  some  of  them  have  died.  They 
act  very  much  like  chickens  with  the 


roup,   only  they   clo  not  swell  around 
the  head.— Mrs.  J.   G.   C. 

Answer — Your  ducks  are  suffering 
from  indigestion  and  also  from  their 
heads  being  stopped  up.  The  indi- 
gestion comes  partly  from  their  not 
having  sufficient  sand  with  their  food, 
and  their  heads  being  stopped  up, 
comes  from  the  drinking  vessel  not 
being  deep  enough  so  they  can  rinse 
their  nostrils  out  many  times  during 
the  day.  If  you  remedy  these  two 
causes  of  trouble  in  the  duck  yard 
and  feed  them  properly,  giving  but 
little  whole  grain,  I  think  they  will 
soon  recover. 

Incubator  Ducks — We  want  to 
know  the  proper  way  to  operate  an  in- 
cubator to  hatch  ducks.  I  have  had 
fairly  good  luck  hatching  chickens  but 
not  with  my  ducks.  I  got  only  40  out 
of  112  fertile  eggs,  and  this  time  we 
should  like  to  have  a  few  directions 
to  go  by. 

Do  they  require  as  much  as  chick- 
ens as  to  moisture;  do  you  sprinkle, 
also  how  often,  and  as  to  airing  the 
eggs,  what  time  of  day  and  how  long 
do  you  advise  to  leave  the  machine 
open;  how  often  do  you  test  the 
eggs? — Mrs.  W. 

Answer — Duck  eggs  require  quite 
as  much  heat  as  those  of  the  chickens; 
they  require  more  airing.  Should  be 
sprinkled  with  warm  water  once  the 
first  week,  twice  the  second  and  every 
day  thereafter,  but  do  not  put  any 
water  in  the  pans.  Sprinkling  the 
eggs  helps  to  make  the  shells  more 
brittle  so  the  ducks  will  get  out 
easier.  Test  the  5th  day  and  again 
about  once  every  week  to  take  out 
the  dead  germs,  as  they  putrify  and 
are  injurious  to  the  rest.  When  you 
air  the  eggs,  which  you  should  do 
twice  a  day,  that  is  every  twelve 
hours,  fan  the  stale  air  out  of  the  in- 
cubator and  then  close  up.  Com- 
mence to  air  the  eggs  when  you  com- 
mence to  turn  them,  that  is  48  hours 
after  they  have  been  in  the  machine. 
The  air  space  in  the  egg  should  be  at 
the  large  end.  I  think  if  you  follow 
the  directions  from  the  maker  of  the 
machine,  and  these  hints,  you  will 
have  a  good  hatch. 

To  Secure  Fertility — I  am  starting 
to  raise  Indian  Runner  ducks  and 


196 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY  BOOK 


want  to  ask  you  how  many  ducks  to 
put  with  one  drake  of  this  variety,  so 
as  to  secure  the  highest  possible  fer- 
tility of  eggs  without  keeping  unnec- 
essary drakes?  I  have  a  flock  of  20 
ducks  and  within  a  few  days  will  be 
ready  to  start  my  incubator,  so  if  you 
will  kindly  reply  as  soon  as  possible, 
I  will  be  very  much  obliged  to  you. — 
L.  F.  R. 

Answer — The  number  of  Indian 
Runner  ducks  to  one  drake  is  ten. 
This  has  been  found  to  be  the  best 
number  for  Indian  Runners,  although 
you  can  mate  fifteen  ducks  to  one 
drake  and  have  good  fertility.  I 
want,  however,  to  warn  you  that  the 
eggs  are  not  nearly  so  fertile  in  the 
fall  and  winter  as  they  are  in  the 
spring,  so  you  must  not  be  disap- 
pointed if  at  least  half  of  the  eggs  are 
infertile  at  this  time  of  the  year.  To 
increase  the  fertility,  would  advise 
you  to  increase  the  amount  of  animal 
food  you  are  feeding.  You  can  tell  in 
five  days  of  incubation  whether  the 
eggs  are  fertile  and  those  that  are  not 
fertile  should  be  removed  from  the 
incubator  and  can  be  used  for  cook- 
ing or  eating.  They  are  merely  in- 
fertile eggs  that  have  been  kept  in  a 
warm  place  for  five  days,  and  are 
better  than  most  store  eggs. 


Weight  at  Ten  Weeks— Will  you 
please  inform  me  what  weight  most 
of  the  duck  men  can  put  on  Indian 
Runner  ducks  at  ten  weeks? — I.  L.  R. 

Answer — Indian  Runners  at  ten 
weeks  of  age  weigh  as  much  as  do 
the  Pekins  at  that  time,  namely,  about 
eight  pounds  per  pair.  They  should 
be  sent  to  market  at  from  eight  to  ten 
weeks  of  age.  After  that  the  pin 
feathers  develop,  making  them  very 
hard  to  pick.  I  think  you  will  be 
greatly  pleased  with  the  ducks  when 
you  try  them.  Their  flesh  is  very  de- 
licious, fine  grained  and  the  bones 
are  small.  They  have  very  much  the 
flavor  of  the  canvas-back,  and  I  have 
heard,  are  sometimes  sold  instead  of 
them.  They  are  also  the  greatest 
layers  of  any  known  fowl;  the  eggs 
are  white  and  very  delicious,  with  no 
strong  taste  like  the  eggs  of  other 
varieties  of  ducks. 


Feeding  for  Eggs — I  bought  some 
Indian  Runner  ducks,  thirty-six  in 
all,  and  six  drakes.  They  were  lay- 


ing up  to  the  middle  of  December; 
since  that  time  have  layed  none.  I 
feed  them  about  everything  that 
would  come  from  a  first-class  hotel 
— bread,  meat,  oat  and  corn-meal 
mush,  all  kinds  of  vegetable  and  fruit. 
Three  times  a  week  I  mix  cracked 
corn  and  bran.  I  feed  in  the  morn- 
ing, twelve  quarts,  same  amount  at 
night.  They  have  access  to  plenty 
of  running  water  and  keep  perfectly 
clean.  The  pen  is  covered  with  for- 
est leaves  that  makes  it  warm.  What 
I  want  to  know  is,  am  I  feeding  right 
for  laying  later  on?  Is  it  customary 
to  pick  them?  Does  it  affect  their 
laying?  I  have  over  two  hundred 
eggs  engaged  at  10  cents  a  piece.  I 
want  to  raise  all  I  can  the  coming 
season. — J.  W.  A. 

Answer — I  think  that  your  hotel 
waste  may  have  rather  more  bread  in 
it  than  is  good  for  egg  production. 
Indian  Runner  ducks  usually  stop  lay- 
ing in  October,  commencing  again  in 
December,  and  getting  into  full  lay  in 
February.  The  best  time  for  hatch- 
ing Indian  Runners  is  from  the  first 
of  February  to  the  end  of  July;  the 
eggs  are  very  fertile  at  such  time.  It 
may  be  that  you  are  fattening  the 
ducks  too  much,  as  over-fat  ducks  do 
not  lay  well.  They  require  much 
more  animal  food  than  chickens.  In 
their  wild  state  they  live  on  grasses, 
fish,  frogs  and  insects,  with  but  very 
little  grain.  If  you  think  they  are 
getting  too  much  bread,  you  might 
save  some  of  it  for  chickens,  and  in- 
crease the  amount  of  meat;  keep 
them  well  supplied  with  coarse  sand, 
grit  and  crushed  oyster  shells. 

Picking  the  ducks  affects  their  lay- 
ing, and  it  greatly  prevents  the 
drakes  from  being  fertile.  While 
they  are  moulting  the  eggs  are  never 
fertile. 

Eggs,  Goose  and  Duck — I  would 
like  to  know  what  care  duck  and  geese 
eggs  should  have  when  a  hen  is  sitting 
on  them  instead  of  the  goose  or  duck. 
Also,  what  feed  should  they  have 
when  first  hatched? — Mrs.  J.  A.  P. 

Answer — Goose  and  duck  eggs  re- 
quire more  heat  and  a  longer  period  of 
incubation  than  hens'  eggs.  Five 
goose  eggs  are  sufficient  to  place  un- 
der a  hen,  and  be  sure  that  she  turns 
the  eggs  every  day  or  the  gosling  will 
be  a  cripple.  The  goose  eggs  are 
heavy  for  a  hen  to  turn,  and  for  this 
reason,  and  also  because  they  require 


GEESE 


197 


more  heat,  the  hen  should  not  have 
more  than  five  to  care  for.  From  nine 
to  eleven  duck  eggs  are  the  number, 
for  the  same  reasons,  that  should  be 
given  to  a  hen. 

Goose  eggs  require  thirty  days  of 
incubation;  duck  eggs  twenty-eight. 
Hens  are  apt  to  desert  them  towards 
the  last  and  should  be  watched,  as 
they  get  tired  of  waiting  for  their 
chicks  to  come  out.  I  also  have  had 
hens  that  were  so  much  afraid^of  the 
queer,  green  looking  babies  they 
hatched  out  that  they  would  kill  them. 
They  seem  to  know  that  they  are  not 
proper  chickens.  I  feed  the  little  geese 
hard-boiled  eggs,  chopped  fine,  and 
cracker  crumbs  moistened  with  water, 
and  sprinkle  a  little  sand  on  the  food. 
This  is  the  first  food.  The  next  day 
they  get  the  same,  with  lettuce 
chopped  fine.  After  this  I  add  break- 
fast oats  with  it  and  bran.  As  early 
as  possible  I  put  the  geese  out  on  the 
lawn,  take  the  hen  away  from  them 
and  put  them  into  a  box  in  the  wood- 
shed or  kitchen,  if  the  nights  are  cool, 
or  if  I  am  afraid  of  cats  or  other 
marauders.  They  do  not  require  heat 
after  a  few  days,  sometimes  not  aft^r 
the  first  day.  It  depends  upon  the 
weather. 

Geese  are  the  easiest  of  fowls  to 
raise.  They  are  a  grazing  bird  and 
must  have  a  pasture  of  something 
green  to  graze  on.  When  young  they 
should  not  have  whole  grain,  but  a 
mash  of  bran  and  corn  meal  with  a 


little    animal    food    in    it,   and   always 
grass  or  alfalfa  to  graze   on. 

Ducks  do  well  treated  in  the  same 
way,  remembering  to  give  them  a  lit- 
tle sand  with  each  meal. 


Died  in  the  Shell— I  had  two  hens 
sitting  on  duck  eggs  and  the  ducks 
all  died  in  the  shell.  The  eggs  were 
pipped,  but  it  seemed  as  though  the 
ducks  could  not  get  out.  I  dipped  the 
eggs  the  last  six  days  in  lukewarm 
water  once  a  day.  I  opened  two  eggs 
and  there  was  jelly  around  the  ducks. 
Could  you  kindly  let  me  know  why 
and  how  it  is,  as  I  have  two  more 
hens  setting?— Mrs.  C.  F.  N. 

Answer — Sprinkle  your  ducks  eggs, 
if  the  weather  is  warm  and  dry,  three 
times  a  week  after  the  first  week;  let 
the  water  be  just  as  hot  as  you  can 
bear  your  hand  in,  and  sprinkle  it  out 
of  a  little  sprinkling  pot  or  use  a 
whisk  broom  to  sprinkle  the  eggs  with 
as  you  would  clothes  for  ironing; 
leave  the  eggs  damp  for  the  hen  to 
go  on  them.  This  is  better  than  float- 
ing them  in  the  water.  Little  ducks 
can  be  easily  helped  out  of  the  eggs 
and  still  live  and  be  strong;  if  they 
seem  slow  in  hatching,  bring  them 
into  the  house  and  put  a  warm  damp 
flannel  around  them  and  place  at  the 
back  of  the  kitchen  stove,  and  I  think 
they  will  then  come  out  without  as- 
sistance; if  not,  help  them  out. 


GEESE 


Geese — I  have  a  few  geese  and  just 
lately  they  have  started  to  lay;  gather 
from  four  to  six  daily.  Do  you  think 
by  turning  them  daily  I  might  save 
them  up  for  incubation?  About  what 
degree  should  be  kept  up  for  them? 
I  put  seven  eggs  under  a  hen.  Would 
you  also  tell  me  what  should  baby 
geese  be  fed?— J.  W. 

Answer — You  can  keep  geese  eggs, 
by  turning  them  every  day,  for  three 
weeks.  They  take  thirty  days  to  in- 
cubate. The  incubator  should  be 
about  102^  for  the  first  week  and 
103  afterwards.  Five  eggs  is  plenty 
to  put  under  a  hen.  See  instructions 
in  this  book  for  hatching  duck  eggs 
in  an  incubator.  Treat  goose  eggs  in 
the  same  way.  Feed  baby  geese  the 


same  as  baby  ducks  for  the  first  week, 
gradually  adding  chopped  lettuce  un- 
til at  least  half  their  food  is  green  food. 
Geese  are  grazing  animals  and  require 
plenty  of  green,  succulent  food.  They 
are  very  easy  to  raise  and  do  not  re- 
quire brooder  heat  more  than  a  few 
days. 


Toulouse  Geese — First,  I  have  a  few 
geese.  I  had  eight  Toulouse  goslings. 
I  fed  them  boiled  eggs,  bread  crumbs, 
oatmeal  (dry),  and  sometimes  clabber 
cheese  with  a  lot  of  fine  cut  grass  and 
young  rye  from  the  rye  patch,  as  I 
have  no  lettuce  yet,  plenty  of  gravel 
and  a  pan  of  water,  but  they  all  die 
from  a  week  to  three  weeks  of  age. 


198 


MRS.  BASLEY'S  WESTERN  POULTRY   BOOK 


Now  what  is  the  cause  and  what  can 
I  do  to  raise  the  others,  as  I  hate  to 
lose  them  so  bad. — Mrs.  J.  B.  M. 

Answer — You  feed  your  young 
geese  wrong.  Geese  are  grazing  ani- 
mals and  need  grass  or  young  tender 
clover  to  eat.  Next  time  you  have 
any  give  them  bran  (three  cups  full) 
and  corn  meal  (one  cup  full)  moist- 
ened with  water,  with  a  teaspoonful  of 
sand  sprinkled  over  it.  This  should 
be  fed  every  two  hours,  after  the  first 


day,  when  they  should  have  nothing 
at  all  to  eat,  they  should  be  turned 
out  on  the  grass  or  on  a  clover  lawn. 
From  the  very  first  they  must  have 
grass  or  clover  to  crop  from.  After 
the  first  week  leave  the  food  where, 
they  can  get  it  all  the  time  and  they 
will  feed  themselves  without  any 
trouble.  Geese  are  the  easiest  of  all 
fowls  to  raise.  They  must  not  have 
water  to  swim  in  until  they  have  their 
mature  feathers. 


"Huskins"    Whi*e   Wyandottes 

and 

White  Orpingtons 


Kellerstrass  Strain 


WINNINGS,  1910 

Wvandottes 

1st  Cockerel   4th  Cockerel 

2dpullet 


The  GRANDEST  UTILITY  and  FANCY 
£':  Breeds  on  record  to-day.     They  are  the  Big 
Winter  Layers,  quick  growing,  and  make  the 
finest  Broilers  of  any  breeds  known. 


-          -wwr       «  «v  T^I  »*•  w  m.  Y^I 

A.  W.  HUSKINS 

713  Waterloo  St.    (Dept.  B)     Los  Angeles,  Cal. 


700  REDS 
20  BREEDING  PENS 


HAYES,  R.  B. 

Rhode  Island  Red  Specialist 

Our  birds  win  their  share  of  the  prizes  on  this  coast  and  are  from  Eastern 
stock  that  have  been  line  bred  for  fifteen  years  and  win  in  New  York  and 
Boston.  Visitors  at  our  yards  say  they  are  the  best  flock  of  Reds  they 
have  ever  seen. 


Yards  in  Arroyo 
Opposite  Ostrich  Farm 


PHONE  EAST  1631 

Box  35,  Garvanza  Station 

LOS   ANGELES,   CAL. 


if 


Owned  by  S.  P.  Moore 
958  Spence  St. 

Los  Annies,  Cai. 


White  Wyondottes 


I  am  ready  when  you  are  ready,  to  supply  you 
with  stock  and  eggs  from 

STERLING  WHITE  WYANDOTTES 

while  my  stock  is  of  the  best  quality,  my  prices 

are  always  reasonable.     I  will  feel  highly 

honored  to  receive  your  favors 


S  D 

O"     • 

958  Spence  St. 


Los  Angeles,  Cal 


METAL  INCUBATORS  AND   BROODERS 

The  demand  for  a  practical,  simple  and  inexpensive  hatcher  and  a  closer  study  of  the 
principles  underlying  the  natural  process  of  incubation  has  enabled  us,  after  twenty  years 
of  practical  experience  in  incubating  and  brooding,  to  place  on  the  market  the  Cycle 
Hatcher,  which  has  been  thoroughly  tested  out  during  the  past  five  years  and  which  we 
believe  more  closely  follows  natural  methods  than  any  other  form  of  incubator  heretofore 
produced. 

All  the  necessary  essentials  are  provided ;  a  warm  nest,  a  cover  to  take  the  place  of  the 
hen  and  the  means  of  supplying  a  sufficient  quantity  of  fresh  air,  at  the  same  time  retaining 
the  natural  moisture  contained  in  the  egg  and  preventing  its  escape.  The  heater  being 
circular  in  shape,  with  the  lamp  directly  in  the  center,  insures  an  even  distribution  of  heated 
air  in  all  parts  of  the  machine,  with  no  corners  for  dead  air  spaces. 

Eggs  to  hatch  well  must  be  newly  laid,  and  where  the  number  produced  is  small,  they 
will  not  be  as  fresh  when  several  hundred  or  more  are  placed  in  one  incubator  as  when  set 
more  often  in  separate  machines.  We  make  only  one  size  machine,  holding  fifty  eggs,  and 
for  large  hatches  the  required  number  of  machines  are  used.  By  having  the  eggs  in  smaller 
units  they  can  be  more  easily  controlled  and  there  is  never  the  danger  of  having  the  entire 
hatch  ruined. 

The  advantages  of  a  small  machine  are  many,  as  practical  poultry  keepers  will  readily 
appreciate  by  a  careful  consideration  of  the  requirements  for  sucessful  incubation. 

CATALOGUE  MAILED  ON  REQUEST 


Brooder  Hatching  Doing  Double  Duty 

Cycle   Hatcher    (for  hatching  only),    50-egg  size $5.50;  two  for  $10.50 

Brooder  Hatcher   (for  hatching  and  brooding  together) 8.00:  two  for     15.00 

THE  PHILO  SYSTEM 

of  progressive  poultry  keeping  is  unlike  all  other  ways  of  raising  poultry,  and  in  many  re- 
spects it  is  just  the  reverse,  accomplishing  things  that  have  always  been  considered  impossible 
and  getting  results  that  are  hard  to  believe  without  seeing. 

This  system  covers  every  detail  of  poultry  work  from  selecting  the  breeders  to  marketing 
the  product.  It  tells  how  to  get  eggs  that  will  hatch,  how  to  hatch  nearly  every  egg  laid 
and  how  to  raise  nearly  all  the  chicks  hatched.  It  gives  complete  plans  in  detail  how  to 
make  all  appliances  necessary  to  run  the  business  at  less  cost  than  is  required  to  handle 
poultry  successfully  in  any  other  manner.  There  is  nothing  complicated  about  the  work  and 
any  man  or  woman  who  can  handle  a  hammer  can  construct  the  apparatus. 

Two-pound  broilers  are  raised  in  a  space  less  than  a  square  foot  to  a  broiler  and  the 
broilers  are  of  the  very  best  quality,  usually  bringing  from  three  to  five  cents  above  the 
highest  market  price.  Six-months-old  pullets  lay  in  a  space  of  two  square  feet  for  each  bird 
and  breeding  pens  are  allowed  three  square  feet  for  each  fowl.  No  green  cut  bone  is  fed 
and  the  food  used  is  inexpensive  compared  with  prepared  foods  others  are  using. 

The  latest  edition  of  the  Philo  System  Book  gives  full  particulars  regarding  this  method 
of  poultry  raising  in  a  simple,  easy-to-understand  manner  with  full  directions  that  are  right 
to  the  point  and  has  fifteen  pages  of  illustrations  showing  all  branches  of  the  work  from 
start  to  finish. 

A  COPY  WILL  BE  SENT  BY  RETURN  MAIL  UPON  RECEIPT  OF  $1.00 


WESTERN    OFFICE 
'•>    11    MADISON    ST.,   OAKLAND,    CAL. 

Branch,  Los  Angeles,   541   Chamber  of  Commerce  Building 


CYCLE  HATCHER  CO. 


izo 


CALIFORNIA  CULTIVATOR 

The  bier  rural  weekly  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  gives  more  poultry  news  than  any  poultry 
or  farm  paper  published  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

ONE  YEAR  (52  issues)  FOR  $1.00 

The  only  paper  for  the  advertiser  to  reach  the 

FANCIER  AND  UTILITY  MAN 

14200  bona-fide  subscribers.     Write  for  sample  copy  and  advertising  rates 

CULTIVATOR  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

115  N.  Broadway,   Los  Angeles,  Cal. 


I88NARRED  PLYMOUTH  RO(KS=I9IO 

OCEAN   BLUE    STRAIN 

Twenty-five  regular  and  special  prizes  this 
season  on  21  entries  under  three  judges.  At 
Los  Angeles,  the  quality  show  of  the 
coast,  we  won  17  regular  and  special 
prizes  on  15  entries,  4  silver  loving  cups. 
Shape,  color  and  head  specials.  Champion 
male,  1st  and  2d  pens.  Sweepstakes  pen 
and  others  too  numerous  to  mention. 

Eggs  always  for  sale,  $3.00  to  $5.00  per  15 

MR.  and  MRS.  D.  T.   WIELAND 

Moneta,  Los  Angeles  County,  Cal. 


ROSENMTH  EGG  RANCH 


IOSWALDMJ 
[ROBERTSON 

ARLINGTON 
CALIFORNIA 


S.  C.  WHITE   LEGHORNS 

WYCKOFF    and   GREGG  STRAINS.     Two   of 
the  best  laying  strains  in  the  World. 

DAY-OLD  CHICKS  (My  Specialty) 

12^  cents  each.  $10.00  per  100.  $90.00  per  1000 

(No  charge  made  for  chick  boxes  if  returned, 
express  prepaid,  within  one  week) 

I  attend  personally  to  selecting  and  filling  all  orders, 
endeavor  to  treat  every  patron  honorably,  and  to  give 
full  value  for  their  money.  Everything  as  repre- 
sented. Visitors  welcome.  Inspection  invited. 

Yours  faithfully 

OSWALD  M.  ROBERTSON 


Home  4154 


Phones   (Riverside) 


Sunset  Red  4926 


WEST  COAST  SEED  CO. 


No  Better  Place 
to  Buy  the  Best 


POULTRY  SUPPLIES 


AT  LOWEST 

PRICES 


Also  RELIABLE  SEEDS  at  RIGHT  PRICES 

Catalogues  Free 

115  W.  SEVENTH  ST.  LOS  ANGELES,  CAL. 


Red 

Feather 

Farm 


Home  of  Buckeyes  and 
Bourbon  Red  Turkeys 

the  Stay-at-Home 
A-\  Turkeys 


Pea-comb  Buckeyes  are  the  only  Standard  American  breed  originated  by  a  woman.  They 
are  beautiful  dark  red,  gamy  looking  birds,  splendid  winter  layers,  good  sitters  and  mothers,  and 
the  best  of  table  birds,  having  abundance  of  fine-flavored  breast  meat.  No  eggs  will  be  shipped 
from  Red  Feather  Farm  hereafter,  but  the  originator  and  proprietor  will  herself  raise  and  select 
pairs,  trios  and  pens  of  her  own  breeding  at  reasonable  prices. 


MRS.  FRANK  METCALF  ( 


Red  Feather  Farm,  Inglewood,  Cal. 


Heavy  Laying  White  Leghorns  Exclusively 

I    ADMIT    HAVING    THE    HEAVIEST    LAYING   STRAIN   ON   THE   COAST 


1  000     LAYING    HENS 

Trap  Nested  Records 


I  have  a  limited  number  of  settings  from  my 
220-227  egg  hens  that  I  will  accept  orders  for  at 
$4.00  per  15.  Cockerels  from  these  hens  at  $7.00 
each. 

Our  18  years  breeding  a  heavy  strain  is  what 
does  it.  Our  birds  never  quit  laying;  they  are 
healthy  and  happy  and  almost  as  large  as  Rocks. 
Nice  Cockerels  from  $3.00  to  $5.00.  EGGS— $2.00 
per  15,  $7.00  per  100  from  the  cream  of  the  layers 
that  average  192  eggs  each.  Send  for  our  new 
24-page  catalogue. 

Los  Angeles,  May  20th. 

My  Dear  Sir:  I  have  been  intending  writing 
you  to  let  you  know  how  the  hens  that  I  raised 
from  yours  eggs  are  doing.  I  have  just  50  hens 
out  of  the  108  eggs,  and  they  started  to  lay  when 
only  four  months  old.  I  intended  to  keep  a  record 
of  the  number  of  eggs  laid,  but  failed  to  do  so; 
when  the  San  Francisco  "shake"  occured,  my  wife 
was  in  that  city,  so  I  placed  feed  and  water  in  the 
yard  to  last  them  a  week  and  I  struck  out  to  find 
my  wife.  I  was  gone  just  seven  days,  and  I  found 
that  the  hens  had  filled  the  nests  and  laid  in  the 
corners  of  the  house  and  around  on  the  ground. 
Wife  and  I  gathered  up  just  329  eggs,  which  was 
an  average  of  47  eggs  per  day  from  the  50  hens, 
and  they  have  never  gone  below  40  eggs  since. 
We  are  more  than  satisfied,  and  ought  to  be. 

J.  B.  STONE. 

RICHLAND  EGG  RANCH 

(W.   C.  MacFarlane) 

Phone   Suburban  287  HANFORD,   CAL. 


rlinlton 


ROBT.  I.  PETERS,  Prop. 

ORIGINAL  WYCKOFF  STOCK 

S.  C,  White  Leghorns 

THE  BUSINESS  HEN 

When  it  comes  to  egg  production,  it  would  be  extremely  difficult — probably  impossible 
— to  find  a  more  satisfactory  breed  than  the  White  Leghorn. 

In  choosing  the  foundation  for  a  money-making  flock  of  White  Leghorns,  you  will  make 
no  mistake  if  you  adopt  the  famous  Wyckoff  strain,  which  has  stood  at  the  head  of  the  heavy 
laying  class  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century. 

Our  breeding  pens  include  a  splendid  collection  of  high-class  stock — hens  of  proven 
merit  as  egg  producers,  carefully  selected  from  our  heaviest  layers,  and  properly  mated  to 
insure  best  results  in  the  development  of  the  ideal  White  Leghorn  of  the  genuine  laying  type. 

Eggs  for  hatching  and  high-grade  breeding  stock  furnished  at  reasonable  prices.  Cor- 
respondence solicited. 


"BREEDERS" 


The  Blue  Ribbon  Strain 
Mammoth  White  Holland  Turkeys 

Of  all  varieties,  the  Mammoth  White  Holland  is  the  easiest  raised 
and  at  the  same  time  the  most  profitable.  Our  strain  of  these  beautiful 
birds  is  of  extra  large  size,  pure  white,  vigorous,  healthy,  prolific  layers 
and  very  domestic. 


Pen  A. — Headed  by  the  First  Grand  Prize  Tom,  Madison  Square  Garden,  New  York 

OUR  GRAND  BREEDING  PENS  are  far  the  best  that  we  have 
ever  mated,  also  great  care  has  been  taken  and  much  money  expended 
to  produce  birds  of  the  highest  type. 

EGGS  READY  ABOUT  MARCH  I5TH 

Stock  and  Show  Birds  a  matter  of  correspondence 

W.  A.  DEXTER,  R.F.D.NO.  IBS,  PALMS,  CAL. 


IMPORTER  AND  BREEDER 


Mammoth    White    Holland    Turkeys 


NELSON'S  WHITE  BEAUTY,  age  11  mo. 

California  Tom.     First  Prize  Winner 
Chutes  Park,  Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  Jan.  10,  1910 


In  mating  our  stock  for  1910, 
great  care  has  been  taken,  and 
much  money  expended  to  pro- 
duce the  highest  type  of  birds 
for  utility  and  the  show  room. 

The  big  demand  for  stock 
and  eggs  has  compelled  an  in- 
crease in  the  size  of  our  plant. 

Our  pens  are  all  headed; by 
birds  of  the  highest  type,  and 
every  order  is  filled  with  great 
care. 


THOMAS  E.  NELSON 


R.  F.  D.    No.  2,  Box    150 

Los   Angeles,    California 


GOODACRE  BROTHERS 


Breeders  of  the 
World's  Best 

Buff  Orpingtons 
Rhode  Island  Reds 
White  Leghorns 

and 

Buff  Orpington  Ducks 

Stock  and  Eggs  for  sale 
the  year  round 


Thirty-two  First  Prizes,  two  Silver 
Cups,  two  Sweepstakes  Silver  Medals, 
show  season  1909  -  10  at  Alaska- 
Yukon  -  Pacific  Exposition,  Seattle; 
the  Great  Chicago  Show,  Sacramento, 
Phoenix,  San  Jose,  Oakland  and 
Los  Angeles. 

We  keep  abreast  of  the  times,  and 
our  stock  prove  good  layers  as  well. 
We  are  adding  to  our  present  stock 

ANCONAS 
The  World's  Great  Layers 


GOODACRE  BROS.,  Box  W,  Compton,  Cal 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 

AN  INITIAL  FINE  OF  25  CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  SO  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $t.OO  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERT 


